I9ZI 


BIOLOGY  LIBRARY 


Proceedings  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History. 

VOL.  36,  No.  1, 
p.    1-103,  pis.  1,  2. 


CONTRIBUTIONS  FROM  THE  GRAY  HERBARIUM  OF 
HARVARD  UNIVERSITY.     NEW  SERIES.— No.  LXII. 


SABLE  ISLAND,  WITH  A  CATALOGUE  OF  ITS  VASCULAR  PLANTS. 


By  HAROLD  ST.  JOHN. 


BOSTON: 

PRINTED  FOR  THE  SOCIETY, 
MARCH,  1921. 


BIOLOGY  LIBRARY" 


Proceedings  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History. 

VOL.  36,  No.  1, 
p.  1-103,  pis.  1,  2. 


CONTRIBUTIONS  FROM  THE  GRAY  HERBARIUM   OF 
HARVARD  UNIVERSITY.    NEW  SERIES.— No.  LXII. 

I  S  3  U  3  d 

Mar.  14   1921 


SABLE  ISLAND,  WITH  A  CATALOGUE  OF  ITS  VASCULAR  PLANTS. 


BY  HAROLD  ST.  JOHN. 


BOSTON: 

PRINTED  FOR  THE  SOCIETY. 
MARCH,  1921. 


•*•  "•  .*  I  I  •*  • 

^bLOGY:lllBlURY 
•:*:I:  :"•.":•:    :  A*  ": 


S3 

JB10LOOJ* 


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CONTENTS. 

Introduction 5 

Present  status  of  Sable  Island 0 

History 

Early  history 7 

First  Humane  Establishment,  1801 17 

Diminishing  size  of  Sable  Island 18 

Changes  in  Wallace  Lake 23 

Zoology 

The  endemic  fresh-water  sponge 25 

Ipswich  Sparrow 25 

Native  and  introduced  animals 27 

Sable  Island  ponies 28 

Botany 

Early  botanical  records 32 

Plant  habitats 39 

Phytogeography 44 

Forestry  experiments 47 

Catalogue  of  the  vascular  plants 56 

List  of  abbreviations 98 

List  of  new  species,  varieties,  and  forms 98 

Tabular  statement  of  families,  genera,  species,  varieties,  and 

forms  of  the  native  or  adventive  flora 99 

Bibliography 101 


M71380 


INTRODUCTION.  j  v,*  /•",  \ :  ,„  j  • '  ;  ,r  >v 

IN  the  summer  of  1913,  the  writer  made  a  botanical  collecting  trip 
to  Sable  Island,  Nova  Scotia.  The  journey  was  taken  at  the  sugges- 
tion of  Prof.  Merritt  L.  Fernald,  without  whose  continued  inspiration 
and  practical  assistance,  its  results  oould  scarcely  have  been  brought 
together  in  the  present  report.  There  are  many  other  acknowledg- 
ments to  make,  especially  to  Dr.  B.  L.  Robinson,  who  arranged  to 
have  the  writer  go  as  a  collector  from  the  Gray  Herbarium,  and  who 
has  forwarded  in  every  way  the  completion  of  the  work.  Miss  Mary 
A.  Day  Librarian  of  the  Gray  Herbarium,  has  frequently  been  of 
great  assistance,  especially  in  bibliographical  matters.  The  writer 
wishes  particularly  to  express  his  thanks  to  the  responsible  Canadian 
Government  officials  because  of  their  constant  readiness  to  make  the 
expedition  possible  and  pleasant.  Unless  a  shipwrecked  waif,  one 
may  not  land  on  Sable  Island  without  a  permit  from  the  Government. 
Mr.  A.  Johnston,  Deputy  Minister  of  Marine  and  Fisheries,  of  Otta- 
wa, and  Mr.  C.  H.  Harvey,  Agent  of  Marine  and  Fisheries,  at  Hali- 
fax, gave  permission  to  visit  the  island  and  arranged  for  transporta- 
tion on  Government  steamers.  The  Superintendent  of  Sable  Is- 
land, Capt.  J.  U.  Blakeney,  both  officially  and  personally,  was  help- 
ful in  every  way  possible,  as  were  the  members  of  the  staff  of  the  Life 
Saving  Stations,  the  Lighthouses,  and  the  Marconi  Station.  In  Hal- 
ifax by  good  fortune  it  was  possible  to  meet  Mr.  Robert  J.  Bouteillier, 
former  Superintendent  of  Sable  Island.  His  unusual  intelligence  and 
keen  powers  of  observation  had  given  him  during  his  long  period  of 
residence  28  years,  an  unrivalled  knowledge  of  Sable  Island  and  its 
phenomena.  This  knowledge  he  has  frequently  shared.  To  the 
late  Mr.  J.  M.  Macoun  of  the  Canadian  Geological  Survey  and  to  Dr. 
H.  T.  Giissow  of  the  Central  Experimental  Farm,  Ottawa,  thanks  are 
extended  for  the  loan  of  specimens.  Mr.  Edwin  R.  Jump  has  kindly 
read  part  of  the  manuscript  and  checked  it  with  his  intensive  knowl- 
edge of  the  history  of  Sable  Island.  The  accompanying  plates  were 
drawn  by  Mr.  F.  Schuyler  Mathews. 


6         PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

PRESENT  STATUS  OF  SABLE  ISLAND. 

Stretching  between  Cape  Cod  and  Newfoundland  is  a  series  of 
shoals  or  banks,  Nantucket  Shoals,  Georges  Bank,  Brown 's  Bank,  La 
Have  Bank,  Sambro  Bank,  Emerald  Bank,  Sable  Island  Bank,  Mid- 
dle Ground,  CPJISO  Bank,  Misaine  Bank,  Artimon  Bank,  Banquereau, 
St.  Pierre  Bank,  Green  Banks,  and  the  Grand  Banks  of  Newfoundland. 
In  all  this  stretch  there  is  but  one  spot  above  high- tide  level,  Sable 
Island,  a  long  crescent  of  sand  dunes,  twenty  miles  in  length  and  less 
than  one  mile  broad. 

The  visitor  to  Sable  Island  will  start  from  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia, 
and  steam  eastward  150  miles.  If  the  weather  is  calm  and  there  have 
been  no  northerly  winds  for  two  or  three  days,  the  steamer  will  ap- 
proach the  northerly,  that  is  to  say,  the  inner  side  of  the  crescent- 
shaped  island,  and  anchor  a  mile  or  more  from  land.  Surf -boats  put 
out  from  the  beach  and  soon  the  landing  of  the  few  passengers  and 
the  very  important  supplies  is  begun.  On  the  way  to  the  beach  there 
are  three  troublesome  bars  that  must  be  crossed  on  the  crest  of  a  big 
wave,  so  the  trip  is  exciting  enough  for  the  most  venturesome,  and  all 
the  passengers  are  glad  to  have  the  boat's  nose  ground  in  the  soft  sand 
of  the  beach,  above  which  rises  a  steep  sand  dune.  If  he  climbs  the 
tall  look-out  mast  crowning  it,  he  will  see  that  this  dune  is  continued 
as  a  ridge  or  range  of  dunes  skirting  the  top  of  the  North  Beach 
throughout  the  whole  length  of  the  island,  and  that  this  ridge  called 
the  North  Ridge,  forms  the  backbone  of  the  island.  Near  the  east 
end  of  the  island  the  dunes  attain  their  greatest  height,  and  at  one 
place  between  Life  Saving  Stations  Nos.  3  and  4,  the  North  Ridge  rises  to 
a  peak  called  Rigging  Hill,  nearly  100  feet  in  height.  From  the  North 
Ridge  the  dunes  run  inland  diminishing  in  height  and  separated  by 
dry  or  wet  dune  hollows.  In  some  places  there  are  definite  cross- 
ridges  of  dunes.  In  every  case  these  have  their  western  faces  bare,  a 
condition  caused  by  the  constant  erosion  of  the  prevailing  westerly 
winds.  From  the  west  end  of  the  island,  for  a  distance  of  twelve 
miles,  the  central  strip  is  occupied  by  a  large  salt  lake,  Wallace  Lake. 
The  drifting  sand  has  recently  filled  up  a  section  of  the  lake  a  mile 
long  and  divided  it  into  two  unequal  parts.  The  farther  shore  of 
Wallace  Lake  is  formed  by  a  narrow  strip  of  sand,  the  South  Beach. 
Near  the  eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake  there  are  a  few  dunes  on  the 
Sruth  Beach,  the  only  remnants  of  the  protecting  ridge  of  dunes  that 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  7 

used  to  run  the  whole  length  of  that  beach.  In  the  larger  dune  hol- 
lows are  fresh-water  ponds,  and  near  the  shores,  and  especially  at  the 
eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake,  are  series  of  brackish  ponds.  The  dunes, 
especially  those  near  the  sea,  and  the  pond  shores  are  well  covered 
with  vegetation.  The  beach  grass  forms  a  thin  covering  over  all  but 
the  most  recent  dunes  and  flats,  but  there  are  great  stretches,  espec- 
ially near  the  East  End,  where  the  blown  sand  is  beyond  control,  drift- 
ing over  everything  and  forming  a  barren  desert  of  shifting  white  sand. 
This  is  a  bird's-eye  view  of  Sable  Island  as  it  was  in  1913,  but  we  know 
from  trustworthy  records  that  many  changes  had  taken  place  and 
that  previously  it  was  very  different,  at  least  in  size. 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  SABLE  ISLAND. 

Who  was  the  first  of  the  European  voyagers  to  sight  Sable  Island, 
we  cannot  now  say.  It  is  certain,  though,  that  at  the  beginning  of 
the  16th  century,  the  fishermen  of  western  Europe  were  acquainted 
with  it.1  "This  is  shown  by  maps  of  the  period  One  preserved 
in  the  royal  library  at  Munich,  marked  as  made  by  Pedro  Reinel, 
who  is  described  by  Herrera  as  '  a  Portuguese  pilot  of  much  fame/ 
and  supposed  to  be  of  about  the  year  1505,  has  it  under  the  name  of 
Santa  Cruz. 

"On  the  13th  March,  1521,  the  King  of  Portugal  granted  to  Joan 
Alvarez  Fagundez  a  large  territory  embracing  Nova  Scotia  and  ad- 
jacencies, together  with  various  islands  lying  off  it,  which  he  is  said 
to  have  discovered  on  a  previous  voyage,  and  among  them  is  Santa 
Cruz." 

"Gastaldi,  a  distinguished  Italian  cartographer,  in  a  map  of  1548, 
represents  it  under  the  name  Isolla  del  Arena,  and  he  is  followed  by 
his  countryman,  Zaltieri  in  1566.  But  as  early  as  1546  Joannes 
Freire,  a  Portuguese  mapmaker,  calls  it  I.  de  Sable,  *  *  *  and  by 
the  end  of  that  period  it  seems  to  have  been  commonly  known  by  that 
name." 

This  is  no  place  to  give  a  detailed  history  of  Sable  Island;  conse- 
quently only  the  more  important  facts,  especially  those  bearing  on 
its  physiography  or  natural  history,  will  be  mentioned. 


1  Much  of  this  historical  data  has  been  freely  drawn  from  Patterson,  Rev. 
George:  Sable  Island:  Its  History  and  Phenomena.  Trans.  Roy.  Soc. 
Can.  xii.  §2.  3-49  (1894). 


8         PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Many  of  the  early  voyagers  refer  to  the  herds  of  cattle  to  be  found 
on  the  island,  and  there  is  a  great  deal  of  conflicting  evidence  as  to 
how  and  when  they  got  there.  According  to  Champlain,  they  were 
left  there  about  the  year  1552  by  the  Portuguese.  "Not  only  does 
Champlain  mention  the  fact,  but  we  find  the  same  asserted  by  the 
historian  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert's  expedition.  That  intrepid  mar- 
iner sailed  from  Newfoundland  in  1583  for  the  American  coast  in- 
tending, after  making  Cape  Breton,  to  go  to  Sable  Island,  as  the  writ- 
er says,  '  upon  intelligence  we  had  of  a  Portugal  who  was  himself  pre- 
sent when  the  Portugals,  above  thirty  years  past/  consequently  be- 
fore 1553,  'did  put  into  the  same  island  neat  and  swine  to  breed, 
which  were  since  exceedingly  multiplied.'  Eight  days  after  sailing 
from  Newfoundland,  or  early  in  the  morning  of  the  29th  of 
August  the  largest  ship  of  the  three  in  the  fleet,  the  'Admiral'  of  120 
tons,  with  Maurice  Browne,  captain,  and  Richard  Clarke,  master, 
first  ran  among  shoals,  then  stroke  aground  and  had  soone  after 
her  sterne  and  hinder  partes  beaten  in  peeces'."1  It  has  been  gen- 
erally interpreted  as  by  Brymner2  that  this  happened  on  Sable  Is- 
land. There  are  two  accounts  of  the  event,  one  by  Clarke,  a  relation 
of  Richard  Clarke,  the  master  of  the  Admiral,  the  other  by  Hayes, 
captain  and  owner  of  the  Golden  Hinde.  These  contradictory  ac- 
counts are  both  given  by  Hakluyt.  All  of  the  evidence  has  been  re- 
viewed by  Patterson3  who  concludes  that  the  wreck  of  the  Admiral 
could  not  have  taken  place  upon  Sable  Island  and  that  it  pro- 
bably occured  upon  Cape  Breton,  near  Louisbourg. 

"The  island1  and  the  cattle  upon  it  next  come  into  notice  by  the 
expedition  of  Troilus  du  Mesgouez,  Marquis  de  la  Roche.  He 
was  a  Catholic  nobleman  of  Brittany,  who  had  from  his  youth  been 
connected  with  the  French  court.  He  agreed  with  the  King  to  found 
a  colony  in  America,  and  for  that  purpose  received  from  him  a  com- 
mission in  which  he  was  named  lieutenant-general  of  Canada,  Hochel- 
aga,  Newfoundland,  Labrador,  and  the  countries  adjacent,  with 
sovereign  power  over  this  vast  domain.  This  commission  was  first 


1  Patterson,  I.  c.  8. 

2  Brymner,  Douglas:  Rept.  on  Canadian  Archives,  pp.  xxv-xxvii  (1895). 

3  Patterson,  Rev.  George:  Termination  of  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert's  Expe- 
dition.    Trans.  Roy.  Soc.  Can.  2nd  ser.  iii.  part  2,  113-27,  2  illustr.  and  1 
chart  (1897). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  9 

issued  in  1578. "  Biggar  tells  us1  that  "he  did  not  set  sail  until  1584. 
Unfortunately  his  largest  vessel  with  over  one  hundred  colonists  on 
board  was  wrecked  near  Brouague  and  the  voyage  had  to  be  aban- 
doned." 

"In  that  year  [1598]  he  set  out  with  one  small  vessel,  under  Chef 
d'hotel,  a  distinguished  Norman  pilot.  *  *  *  His  expedition  was 
so  modest,  not  to  say  cheap,  in  its  proportion  and  equipment  as  to 
seem  quite  unworthy  of  its  ambitious  mission,  or  the  vice-regal  rank 
of  its  commander.  One  vessel  constituted  the  fleet,  and  it  is  so  small, 
that,  according  to  a  contemporary  chronicle,  you  could  wash  your 
hands  in  the  water  without  leaving  the  deck,  while  forty  out  of  the 
sixty  men  comprising  the  marquis'  army  of  occupation  and  evangel- 
ization, were  convicts  chosen  from  the  royal  prisons/'2 

Biggar,  who  has  investigated  many  of  the  old  archives,  gives  us  a 
somewhat  different  account.  He  quotes  the  contract  made  in  March, 
1597,  between  la  Roche  and  Chefdostel,  master  of  the  La  Catherine 
of  170  tons.  Chefdostel  was  to  transport  a  company  of  soldiers  to 
Sable  Island  on  condition  that  la  Roche  should  pay  for  half  the  car- 
go of  salt,  half  the  wages  of  the  crew,  and  the  whole  of  the  provisions. 
A  year  later  la  Roche,  failing  to  attract  bonafide  colonists,  was  allow- 
ed to  take  convicts  from  the  jails  of  Brittany  and  Normandy.  On 
the  16th  of  March,  1598,  la  Roche  made  a  new  contract  with  Chef- 
dostel who  for  600  crowns  was  to  transport  the  convicts  to  Sable  Is- 
land. Two  days  later  a  similar  contract  was  made  with  Jehan  Girot, 
master  of  the  Frangoise,  who  having  a  smaller  vessel  was  to  receive 
100  crowns. 

The  Marquis  de  la  Roche  obtained  200  or  250  convicts,  male  and 
female,  from  the  prisons,  but  it  appears  that  he  allowed  many  of  these 
to  purchase  their  freedom  before  sailing.  He  set  sail  in  1 598  and  on  reach- 
ing Sable  Island  landed  40,  50,  or  60  of  the  convicts,3  leaving  with 
them  a  small  supply  of  provisions  and  goods;  then  he  sailed  away  to 

1  Biggar,  H.  P.:  The  Early  Trading  Companies  of  New  France,  39  (1901). 

2  Oxley,  J.  M.:  Mag.  of  Amer.  Hist.  xv.  166  (1886). 

3  Charlevoix,  P.  F.  X. :  Histoire  et  Description  de  la  Nouvelle  France,  i.  109 
(1744),  says  40  convicts  were  landed;  Gosselin,  E. :    Early  French  Voyages  to 
Newfoundland,  Mag.  Am.  Hist.  viii.  288  (1882),  says  that  the  colonists  "with 
the  exception  of  fifty,  refused  to  disembark,  and  compelled  de  la  Roche  to 
bring  them  back  to  France";  Biggar,  H.  P. :     The  Early  Trading  Companies 
of  New  France,  40  (1901),  says  that  only  sixty  persons  were  actually  landed  on 
the  island. 


10       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

explore  the  neighboring  coast  of  Acadia.  He  intended  "to  select  a 
site  for  settlement,  to  which  he  proposed  afterwards  to  remove  them. 
On  his  return  he  was  caught  by  a  tempest,  which  drove  him  east- 
ward. His  frail  bark  was  obliged  to  run  before  the  storm,  and  at  last 
he  reached  France,  intending  soon  to  return.  But  misfortune  attend- 
ed him.  The  Due  de  Moncoeur  is  said  to  have  cast  him  into  prison. 
At  all  events  five  years  elapsed  before  anything  could  be  done  for  the 
relief  of  the  unfortunate  creatures  he  had  left  behind."1 

"  At  first  it  would  seem  as  if  on  being  thus  released  from  all  restraint 
they  fought  with  one  another  like  entrapped  rats,  for  Les-carbot  tells 
that  'ces  gens  se  mutinerent,  et  se  couperent  la  gorge  Tun  a  Pautre'. 
Then  as  the  horror  of  their  situation  fully  dawned  upon  them,  and 
they  realized  that  only  by  harmonious  co-operation  could  any  life  be 
preserved,  better  counsels  prevailed,  and  systematic  efforts  were  put 
forth  to  secure  a  maintenance.  From  the  wreck  of  a  Spanish  ship 
they  built  themselves  huts,  the  ocean  furnished  them  with  fire-wood, 
the  wild  cattle  with  meat,  the  seals  with  clothing,  and  with  some 
seeds  and  farming  implements  happily  included  among  the  'bagage' 
mentioned  by  Les-carbot,  they  carried  on  agricultural  operations  in  a 
sheltered  valley  by  the  lake-side  whose  tradition  remains  to  this  day 
by  the  locality  being  known  as  the  French  Gardens. 

"  Despite  these  alleviations  in  the  rigor  of  their  fate,  however,  the 
utter  absence  of  the  most  necessary  comforts,  and  their  own  evil 
deeds  so  reduced  their  numbers  that  when,  in  1603,  the  King  sent  a 
vessel  [under  Chef  d'h6tel,  the  same  pilot]  to  bring  them  back,  only 
eleven  out  of  the  original  forty  were  found  alive,  clad  in  their  self- 
made  seal-skin  garments,  broken,  haggard,  and  unkempt,  they  were 
presented  before  Henry  IV.,  and  their  harrowing  tale  so  touched  the 
royal  heart  that  they  each  received  a  full  pardon  for  their  crimes,  and 
a  solatium  of  fifty  golden  crowns.  The  strangest  part  of  the  story 
remains  yet  to  be  told.  Undeterred  by  an  experience  that  was  surely 
sufficient  to  appall  the  stoutest  hearted,  these  Rip  Van  Winkles  of  the 
sea,  whose  names  may  still  be  found  in  record  in  the  Registres 
d'  Audience  du  Parliament  de  Rouen,  returned  to  their  place  of  exile,  and 
drove  a  thriving  trade  in  furs  and  ivory  with  their  mother  country  for 
many  years,  until  one  by  one  they  passed  away."2 


1  Patterson,  I  c.  8. 

2  Oxley,  I  c.  167. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  11 

From  Governor  John  Winthrop's  Journal1  we  learn  that  "Mr.  John 
Rose,  being  cast  ashore  there  in  the  [Mary  and  Jane]  two  years  since 
[1633],  and  making  a  small  pinnace  of  the  wreck  of  his  ship,  sailed 
thence  to  the  French  upon  the  main,  being  thirty  leagues  off,  by 
whom  he  was  detained  prisoner,  and  forced  to  pilot  them  to  the  is- 
land, where  they  had  great  store  of  sea-horse  and  cattle,  and  black 
foxes;  and  they  left  seventeen  men  upon  the  island  to  inhabit  it.  The 
island  is  thirty  miles  long,  two  miles  broad  in  most  places,  a  mere  sand, 
yet  full  of  fresh  water  in  ponds,  etc.  He  saw  about  eight  hundred 
cattle,  small  and  great,  all  red,  and  the  largest  he  ever  saw,  and  many 
foxes  whereof  some  perfect  black.  There  is  no  wood  upon  it,  but 
store  of  wild  peas  and  flags  by  the  ponds,  and  grass.  In  the  middle 
of  it  is  a  pond  of  salt  water,  ten  miles  long,  full  of  plaice  etc. " 

"In  1634  the  island  was  granted,  along  with  Port  Royal  and  La 
Heve,  by  the  Company  of  the  Hundred  Associates,  to  Claude  de 
Razilli,  brother  of  Isaac  de  Razilli,  who  had  been  appointed  comman- 
der or  governor-in-chief  of  Acadia,  and  who  had  commenced  a  settle- 
ment at  La  Heve."2 

In  the  following  year,  1635,  according  to  Governor  John  Winthrop1, 
"  Mr.  Graves,  in  the  James,  and  Mr.  Hodges,  in  the  Rebecka,  set  sail 
for  the  Isle  of  Sable  for  sea  horse  (which  are  there  in  great  number) 
and  wild  cows.  The  company  which  went  now,  carried 

twelve  landmen,  two  mastiffs,  a  house  and  a  shallop. 

"[August  26.1  They  returned  from  their  voyage.  They  found 
there  upon  the  island  sixteen  Frenchmen,  who  had  wintered  there, 
and  built  a  little  fort,  and  killed  some  black  foxes.  They  had  killed 
also  many  of  the  cattle,  so  as  they  found  not  above  one  hundred  and 
forty,  and  but  two  or  three  calves.  They  could  kill  but  few  sea-horse, 
by  reason  they  were  forced  to  travel  so  far  in  the  sand  as  they  were 
too  weak  to  stick  them,  and  they  came  away  at  such  time  as  they 
[the  sea-horse  or  walrus]  use  to  go  up  highest  to  eat  green  peas.  The 
winter  there  is  very  cold,  and  the  snow  above  knee  deep. " 

Commander  de  Razilli  died  that  year  or  the  next,  and  his  brother 
transferred  the  rights  of  both  to  Charnisay,  and  the  French  seem  to 
have  abandoned  the  island. 

1  Winthrop,  John:  The  History  of  New  England  from  1630  to  1649,  edited 
by  James  Savage,  i.  162  (1825). 

2  Patterson,  George:  Supplementary  Notes  on  Sable  Island.  Trans.  Roy. 
Soc.  Can.  2nd  series,  iii.  §  2,  133  (1897). 


12       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Governor  Winthrop  also  records1  that  in  the  summer  of  1642  "the 
merchants  of  Boston  sent  out  a  vessel  again  to  the  isle  of  Sable,  with 
12  men,  to  stay  there  a  year.  They  sent  again  in  the  8th  month,  and 
in  three  weeks  the  vessel  returned  and  brought  home  400  pair  of  sea 
horse  teeth,  which  were  esteemed  worth  £300,  and  left  all  the  men 
well  and  12  tons  of  oil  and  many  skins,  which  they  could  not  bring 
away,  being  put  from  the  island  in  a  storm. " 

In  the  4th  month  of  1642,  "the  adventurers  to  the  Isle  of  Sable 
fetched  off  their  men  and  goods  all  safe.  The  oil,  teeth  seal  and 
horse  hides,  and  some  black  fox  skins  came  near  to  £1500."2 

As  we  learn  from  a  letter  by  Bishop  Saint  Vallier,  written  in  1686, 
the  Acadians  caught  and  shipped  large  numbers  of  the  wild  cattle  to 
their  homes  on  the  mainland,  where  they  domesticated  them.  We 
do  not  find  the  wild  cattle  mentioned  after  this  time. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  18th  century  we  hear  very  little  of 
Sable  Island.  It  was  next  brought  into  prominence  by  the  Rev.  An- 
drew Le  Mercier,  a  graduate  of  Geneva  and  of  old  Huguenot  stock, 
who,  in  1719,  became  pastor  of  the  French  Protestant  Church  in  Bos- 
ton. In  1729,  on  the  arrival  of  Governor  Phillips  in  Nova  Scotia,  Le 
Mercier  proposed  to  him  to  plant  a  colony  of  French  Protestants  in 
Nova  Scotia.  The  Governor  recommended  a  grant  of  5,000  acres, 
but  nothing  came  of  it.  On  the  6th  of  March,  1738,  we  find  Le  Mer- 
cier petitioning3  Governor  Armstrong  for  a  grant  of  Sable  Island,  but 
after  approval  of  his  petition,  he  was  unwilling  to  pay  the  penny  an 
acre  quit-rent.  At  this  time,  Le  Mercier  sent  stock  to  the  island  pre- 
paratory to  moving  his  family  there.  In  1740,  he  again  applied  for 
a  grant  of  the  island  arguing4  that  as  the  land  is  "  low,  boggy  and  sandy 
soil,  with  large  ponds  or  settlings  of  water  occasioned  by  the  overflow- 
ings of  the  tides,  he  thinks  the  penny  an  acre  too  much  for  what  can 
not  be  improved." 

.  At  the  instance  of  Le  Mercier,  the  Governor  of  Nova  Scotia  issued 
two  proclamations  forbidding  any  molestation  of  Le  Mercier's  estab- 
lishment on  Sable  Island.  Nevertheless,  he  suffered  losses  and  ad- 
vertised in  a  Boston  paper5,  in  1744,  a  reward  of  £40  for  the  detection 


1  Winthrop,  I  c.  ii.  34. 

2  Winthrop,  I.  c.  67. 

3  Murdoch,  Beamish:  Hist,  of  Nova  Scotia,  i.  523  (1865). 
*Ibti.,  ii.  6  (1866). 

6  Boston  Evening-Post,  Jan.  30  (1744). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  13 

of  the  plunderers,  saying,  "Notwithstanding  those  two  Proclama- 
tions, the  low  of  Money,  which  is  the  Root  of  all  Evil,  is  so  deeply  root- 
ed in  the  Hearts  of  some  Fishermen,  that  they  have  sundry  Times 
Stole  our  Cattle  and  our  Goods,  regarding  neither  the  Laws  of  God 
or  of  Man,  neither  Justice  to  me,  or  Humanity  to  Shipwreck'd  Men, 
which  by  their  Wickedness  they  endeavor  to  Starve,  and  minding 
neither  natural  or  revealed  Religion  and  their  eternal  Damnation, 
nor  even  their  own  temporal  Interest,  which  is  certainly  not  to  hin- 
der but  to  promote  the  abovesaid  Settlement,  since  it  may  be  their 
Case  one  Time  or  other  to  be  cast  away  upon  the  Island  Sables,  and 
to  want  there  those  Things  which  they  have  carried  off. " 

In  the  year  1746,  the  Due  d'  Anville,  in  his  expedition  against  the 
British  colonies,  was  overtaken  by  a  severe  storm  near  this  island  and 
lost  a  transport  and  a  fire-ship. 

In  1753,  Le  Mercier  published  a  detailed  notice  of  Sable  Island.1 
It  is  really  an  advertisement,  by  means  of  which  he  hoped  to  sell  the 
island,  so  we  must  understand  and  discount  the  very  rosy  light  in 
which  it  is  portrayed.  As  the  article  is  of  very  considerable  interest, 
and  as  it  is  not  readily  available  to  all  readers,  it  seems  worth  while 
to  quote  it  here  in  its  entirety. 

"TO  BE  SOLD  by  me  the  Subscriber 
"(Andrew  Le  Mercier,  Pastor  of  the  French  Church) 

"THE  ISLAND  Sables. 
"  The  Publick  hath  here  a  short  description  of  it  for  nothing. 

"  SAID  Island  is  situated  at  the  Distance  of  about  40  Leagues  from 
Halifax,  thirty  from  Cape  Breton,  and  50  from  Newfoundland;  a  good 
Market  for  the  Produce  of  the  Island,  Cattle  &  Roots  of  all  sorts.  It 
is  about  28  Miles  long,  one  Mile  over,  and  contains  about  10,000  Acres 
of  Land,  500  of  which  are  quite  barren,  all  the  rest  produces  or  may 
bear  something.  Their  are  neither  River  or  Brooks  or  fresh  Water, 
but  everywhere  even  upon  the  Beach  you  may  come  to  fresh  clear 
Water  by  digging  about  3  feet,  by  which  means  the  root  of  the  Grass 
is  always  kept  cool  and  alive,  so  that  it  cannot  be  much  subject  to  a 
Drought,  as  it  was  experienced  three  Years  ago.  The  Climate  may 
be  called  temperate,  for  as  in  Winter  the  Snow  hardly  lies  above  three 

1Le  Mercier,  Andrew:  The  Island  Sables.  Boston  Weekly  News  Letter, 
February  8  (1753). 


14       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Days  on  the  Ground,  so  it  is  never  extream  hot  in  Summer,  and  it  is 
a  rare  thing  to  be  frightened  by  any  Thunder.  It  bears  no  venomous 
Creatures  of  any  sort,  and  hardly  any  Flies. — The  high  Winds  clear 
the  air,  which  makes  it  healthy;  and  nature  hath  furnished  it  with 
medicinal  Plants  and  Shrubs: — It  produces  naturally  near  20 
sorts  of  Berries,  out  of  which  some  People  suppose  very  good 
Liquors  and  Wines  might  be  expressed —  It  looks  all  green  in  Winter 
with  the  Juniper  Bushes  and  red  in  Summer  with  the  large  Straw- 
berries and  other  wild  Fruits  which  it  bears. — It  hath  abundance  of 
wild  or  Beach  Pease,  which  fatten  the  Cattle  very  well: — By  several 
Pieces  of  petrified  Wood  found  there  it  is  supposed  that  the  Sand  hath 
a  Property  of  petrifying  Wood. — Within  these  seven  or  eight  Years 
Providence  hath  opened  a  Communication  between  the  great  Pond 
(fifteen  Miles  long)  and  the  Sea,  which  hath  made  a  safe  and  large 
Harbour,  but  the  Entrance  is  barred  so  that  large  and  sharp  Vessels 
cannot  get  into  it;  but  as  there  is  about  8  Feet  of  Water  over  the  Bar 
at  high  Water  there  is  sufficient  Passage  (as  we  know  by  Experience) 
for  Vessels  of  30  Tuns  or  more,  if  not  built  Sharp. — The  Ponds  abound 
with  Flounders  and  Eels;  the  Beech  itself  with  Clams  and  Sand  Eels; 
the  Air  with  Fowls,  and  especially  with  black  Ducks,  so  as  to  make 
money  with  their  Feathers.  The  Soil  is  so  natural  for  all  sorts  of  Roots, 
especially  Turnipe,  that  they  are  not  only  uncommonly  sweet  there  but 
also  uncommonly  large,  some  weighing  7  Pounds  a  piece: — Rye  grows 
there  very  naturally  and  also  Wheat  at  the  Rate  of  13  Bushels  per 
acre.  It  is  supposed  that  Flax  would  grow  there  very  well ;  it  would 
also  produce  Indian  Corn  well  enough  if  the  high  Winds  in  the  Fall 
did  not  break  it: — There  is  neither  Trees  (but  many  Bushes)  nor 
Stones. — The  Grass  is  tall,  thick  and  hath  a  very  sweet  taste  and 
nourishing  Property;  there  is  some  English  Grass,  but  the  other  is 
more  profitable,  and  there  is  enough  to  feed  some  thousand  Heads 
of  Cattle: — Horses  breed  and  grow  there  without  Care  or  Trouble; 
there  is  all  Winter  long  Grass  enough  or  near  enough  for  them,  so  that 
they  eat  but  little  of  the  Hay  which  is  made  for  them  in  the  Summer 
or  the  Fall. — The  raising  of  Sheep,  Horn-Cattle,  and  especially  of 
Horses  is  the  most  Advantagious  (as  for  the  Grain  there  are  not  above 
400  Acres  where  it  may  be  raised).  The  Care  of  Gardens  and  Cattle 
take  up  our  People's  Time  in  Summer,  in  Winter  they  go  to  kill  Seils 
and  boil  their  Fat  into  Oyl,  as  well  as  that  of  Whales,  which  now  and 
then  are  cast  away  dead  upon  the  Beach.  The  Island  finds  them  in 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  15 

Turf  and  the  Sea  brings  them  Wood;  so  they  are  not  deprived  of  the 
Necessaries  of  Life,  nor  without  Profits  of  several  Sorts;  besides  their 
having  the  pleasure  of  saving  many  Men's  Lives,  according  to  the 
motto  of  the  Island,  viz — Destruo  &  Salvo.  When  I  took  Possession 
of  the  Island  there  was  no  four-footed  Creatures  upon  it,  but  a  few 
foxes  some  red  and  some  black  (some  of  which  remain  to  this  Day) 
now  there  are  I  suppose  about  90  Sheep,  between  20  or  30  Horses  in- 
cluding Colts,  Stallions  and  breeding  Mares,  about  30  or  40  Cows 
tame  and  Wild,  and  40  Hogs.  There  are  all  sorts  of  Utensils  for 
Farming  and  trying  Fat,  several  Boats  and  six  or  seven  small  Houses 
and  Warehouses.  The  advantages  which  do  acrue  or  may  acrue  from 
the  Improvement  of  that  Place  are  so  great  that  I  would  not  easily 
part  with  it  if  I  was  so  skilful  in  Navigation  and  Shipping  as  is  nec- 
essary: That  Ignorance  of  mine  induces  me  (not  any  Defect  in  the 
Island  itself)  to  part  with  it.  If  any  Person  desires  to  purchase  it, 
and  to  know  further  about  it,  they  may  see  at  my  House  a  Map  and 
Plan  of  it,  or  if  they  live  at  a  Distance  by  letters  sent  (Postage  free) 
they  may  enquire  about  any  Thing,  they  want  to  be  satisfied  in,  and 
I  will  endeavor  to  give  them  all  the  Light  they  desire.  I  must  know 
their  Mind  within  2  or  3  Months,  that  the  Crew  now  upon  the  Is- 
land, may  be  disposed  of  accordingly." 

"  Boston,  the  5th  Day  of  Andrew  Le  Mercier, 

"  February,  1 763  Pastor  of  the  French  Church. ' ' 

It  does  not  appear  that  Le  Mercier  found  a  purchaser.  He  died  on 
March  31st,  1764,  and  his  will,  drawn  on  the  7th  of  November,  1761, 
does  not  mention  Sable  Island.  At  least  in  1760,  the  island  was  un- 
inhabited and  a  certain  Boston  merchant,  Thomas  Hancock1,  desir- 
ing to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  those  shipwrecked,  fitted  out  a  schooner 
with  "Horses,  Cows,  Sheep,  Goats,  Hogs  and  Animals  likely  to  live 
on  the  Island.  They  were  landed  there  and  generally  answered  very 
well." 

In  1760,  a  vessel  with  a  part  of  the  43d  regiment  returning  from 
the  capture  of  Quebec,  was  wrecked  on  the  island.  The  evidence  of 
this  was  found  long  afterward.  "In  the  year  1842,  during  a  severe 
gale,  an  old  landmark  in  the  form  of  a  pyramid,  said  to  be  one  hun- 
dred feet  high,  was  completely  blown  away,  exposing  some  small  huts 
built  of  the  timbers  and  planks  of  a  vessel.  On  examination  they 
were  found  to  contain  quite  a  number  of  articles  of  furniture,  stores 

1  Kept,  on  Canadian  Archives,  86  (1895). 


16       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY' NATURAL  HISTORY. 

put  in  boxes,  bales  of  blankets,  a  quantity  of  military  shoes,  and, 
among  other  articles,  a  dog-collar  of  brass,  on  which  was  engraved 
the  name  of  Major  Elliott,  43rd  regiment.  On  referring  to  the  re- 
cords of  the  regiment,  however,  it  was  found  that  the  party  had  been 
taken  off  the  island.  The  site  of  the  encampment  is  now  under  at 
least  five  fathoms  of  water."1 

In  1774,  permission  was  granted  by  Governor  Legge,  and  approved 
by  the  King,  to  Michael  Flannigan  and  his  associates  to  reside  on  the 
island.2  We  know  nothing  of  their  intentions  or  the  length  of  their 
stay. 

During  the  War  of  the  American  Revolution,  American  privateers 
frequently  visited  Sable  Island  and  made  great  inroads  on  all  its  re- 
sources. By  the  close  of  the  hostilities  none  of  the  animals  remained, 
except  a  few  of  the  horses. 

Moses  Gerrish,  a  Newburyport  skipper,  was  shipwrecked  on  Sable 
Island  on  a  homeward  voyage  from  the  Banks,  November  9,  1787. 
The  provisions  which  he  and  his  crew  saved,  and  a  number  of  young 
seal  lasted  them  about  60  days  when  they  "had  recourse  to  the  horses 

*  *     *     *     we  killed  and  eat  13  of  them.     *     *     *     Being  with- 
out ammunition,  we  were  obliged  to  dig  pits  to  betray  horses,  it  be- 
ing impossible  to  get  them  in  any  other  way."3     He  was  rescued  on 
the  18th  of  April  by  Capt.  Nathaniel  Preble  of  the  schooner  Betsy. 

In  the  year  1789,  a  certain  Jesse  Lawrence,  "who  lived  on  the  isle 
of  Sable,  to  receive  wrecked  people,  and  to  carry  on  the  seal  fishery, 
was  attacked  by  people  from  Massachusetts,  who  landed  there  and 
wantonly  pillaged  and  destroyed  his  house  and  effects,  and  then  com- 
pelled him  to  leave  the  island.  He  received  some  compensation  from 
Governor  Hancock  [of  Massachusetts]  and  his  council,  which  still  left 
him  a  sufferer.  "4 

During  the  last  few  years  of  the  18th  century,  Sable  Island  was  the 
scene  of  many  disastrous  shipwrecks,  and  at  this  time  objects  of  great 
value  and  foreign  origin,  laces,  jewelry,  etc.,  were  seen  in  the  cabins  of 
certain  Nova-Scotian  fishermen,  and  ugly  tales  were  told  about  wreck- 
Patterson,  George:  Sable  Island.     Trans.  Roy.  Soc.  Can.  xii.  §2,  11-12 
(1894). 
2  Murdoch,  Beamish:  Hist,  of  Nova-Scotia,  ii.  526  (1866). 

*  Essex  Journal  and  New  Hampshire  Packet  (1788) ;  and  Boston  Herald  and 
Journal,  December  28  (1917). 

4  Murdoch,  I.  c.  iii.  78  (1867);  and  Nova  Scotia  Gazette,  February  10  (1789). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  17 

ers  and  pirates  preying  on  any  unfortunates  cast  upon  the  island.  So 
notorious  was  this  condition,  that  at  the  instance  of  Sir  John  Went- 
worth  an  act  was  passed  in  1801  for  the  protection  of  shipwrecked 
property;  and  unauthorized  persons  were  forbidden  to  dwell  on 
Sable  Island,  and  were  forcibly  removed. 

The  captain  and  the  crew  of  one  cf  the  vessels  cast  away  at  this 
time  were  forced  to  stay  on  Sable  Island  through  the  winter.  It  be- 
came the  Captain's  custom  after  each  storm  to  examine  the  part  of  the 
island  most  affected  by  it.  In  doing  this  he  counted  over  40  wrecks, 
which  had  been  uncovered,  not  one  of  which  was  visible  before. 

FIRST  HUMANE  ESTABLISHMENT,   1801. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1801,  the  House  of  Assembly  of  Nova  Scotia 
authorized  the  settling  of  three  families  on  Sable  Island  and  voted 
£600  to  defray  the  expenses.  James  Morris  was  appointed  the  first 
Superintendent,  and  on  the  13th  of  October,  he  with  his  family  and 
assistants  was  landed  on  the  island.  The  object  was  to  save  the  lives 
and  the  property  of  people  shipwrecked  on  the  island.  Three  years 
later,  by  an  official  report,  we  learn  that  from  five  wrecks,  Supt.  Mor- 
ris and  his  staff  were  responsible  for  saving  the  lives  of  41  persons  and 
£2,300  worth  of  property. 

Between  1801  and  1913,  there  have  been  176  known  wrecks  on  the 
Island,  and  it  is  estimated  from  bits  of  wreckage  that  at  least  as  many 
"missing  ships"  have  struck  and  gone  down  with  all  hands  on  the 
more  distant  parts  of  the  bars.  The  Northwest  Bar  extends  1 1  miles 
beyond  the  West  End  of  the  island  and  the  Northeast  Bar  16  miles 
beyond  the  East  End,  so  that  in  time  of  storms  the  island  and  its  bars 
form  a  line  of  breakers  and  shoals  nearly  50  miles  long  that  bodes 
ill  for  any  mariner  who  attempts  to  cross. 

During  the  War  of  1812,  President  Madison  issued  strict  orders  that 
"the  public  and  private  armed  vessels  of  the  United  States  are  not  to 
interrupt  any  British  unarmed  vessels  bound  to  Sable  Island,  and 
laden  with  supplies  for  the  humane  establishment  at  that  place."1 

The  establishment  has  continued  to  the  present  day,  supported  at 
first  by  the  government  of  Nova  Scotia,  then  by  Nova  Scotia  and 
Great  Britain  jointly,  and  now  by  Canada  and  Great  Britain.  In 
1913,  it  consisted  of  five  Life  Saving  Stations  and  two  lighthouses, 
with  a  staff  of  twenty-one  men,  and  a  Marconi  Station  with  five  men,  the 

lNiles'  Weekly  Register,  iii.  191  (1812). 


18       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

total  population  including  the  families  being  about  sixty  persons.  In 
the  records  of  this  establishment  we  have  continuous  detailed  informa- 
tion as  to  the  conditions  on  Sable  Island. 

DIMINISHING  SIZE  or  SABLE  ISLAND. 

We  find  Sable  Island  represented  on  the  early  charts  of  the  coast 
of  North  America  such  as  that  by  Reinel,  in  1505,  by  Rotz  in  1542, 
by  Joannes  Freire  in  1546,  by  Vaz  Dourado  in  1573,  and  by  that  of 
Hakluyt  in  1598-1600.  It  also  appears  on  the  small-scale  maps  by 
Philippe  Buache  in  1736,  and  that  by  Bellin  in  1757. 

In  1766  and  1767,  Joseph  Frederick  Wallet  Des  Barres  made  a  sur- 
vey of  Sable  Island,  published1  in  1777  and  1779.  It  is  drawn  on 
two  different  scales,  the  larger  about  one-half  a  mile  to  the  inch. 
He  gives  several  hundred  soundings  near  the  island  and  locates  it  be- 
tween 60°  01'  and  60°  32'  W.  Long.  The  island  itself  is  shown  as  a 
long  flat  crescent,  in  shape  much  as  it  is  to-day,  and  30  miles  long 
by  2  miles  broad.  The  second  highest  hill  is  146  feet  above  sea 
level.  The  center  of  the  island  is  shown  with  an  inland  lake  12 
feet  in  depth,  with  an  opening  to  the  sea  on  the  north  side.  Al- 
most continuous  ridges  of  dunes  shelter  this  lake  on  both  the  north 
and  the  south  sides.  Des  Barres  says,  "The  whole  island  is  composed 
of  fine  white  sand,  much  coarser  than  any  of  the  soundings  about  it, 
and  inter-mixed  with  small  transparent  stones.  Its  face  is  very  brok- 
en, and  hove  up  in  little  hills,  knobs  and  cliffs,  wildly  heaped  together, 
within  which  are  hollows  and  ponds  of  fresh  water,  *  *  *  .  The 
Ram's  Head  is  the  highest  hill  on  this  island;  it  has  a  steep  cliff  on  the 
north  west  and  falls  gently  to  the  south  east.  The  Naked  Sand  Hills 
are  one  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  of  perpendicular  height  above  the 
level  of  high-water  mark,  *****  Gratia  Hill  is  a  knob  at 
the  top  of  a  cliff  the  height  of  which  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
feet  *  *  V'2 

Of  this  same  period  is  a  chart  by  Capt.  John  Montresor:  Map  of 
Nova  Scotia  or  Acadia;  with  the  Islands  of  Cape  Breton  and  St. 
John's,  from  Actual  Surveys,  by  Capt.  Montresor,  1768.  The  scale 
is  about  6  miles  to  the  inch.  Sable  Island  is  shown  as  30  %  miles  in 
length  by  2  miles  in  breadth.  The  salt  lake  has  an  opening  at  its 
western  end  through  the  South  Beach.  The  dunes  extend  half-way 

1  Atlantic  Neptune,  i  (1777  and  1779). 

2  Des  Barres,  I  c.  68. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  19 

down  the  South  Beach,  but  the  remainder  is  shown  as  a  mere  sand 
flat.  There  is  no  detail  as  to  the  fresh- water  ponds  or  the  individual 
dunes. 

Another  British  Admiralty  chart  of  Sable  Island,  dated  1770,  ap- 
peared as  Chart  8  in  Robert  Sayer's  North  American  Pilot  of  1779. 
These  charts  were  drawn  from  original  surveys  by  James  Cook,  Mi- 
chael Lane,  Surveyors,  Joseph  Gilbert,  and  other  officers  in  the  King's 
Service,  and  they  were  engraved  by  Thomas  Jeffreys,  and  printed  by 
R.  Sayer  and  J.  Bennett.  Although  this  Sayer  chart  was,  like  the 
Des  Barres  chart,  an  official  British  Admiralty  chart  and  was  pub- 
lished in  a  volume  of  the  same  year  as  the  second  issue  of  the  Des  Bar- 
res  chart,  and  although  there  is  no  indication  of  the  identity  of  the 
surveyor  of  the  Sayer  chart,  yet  the  two  charts  were  undoubtedly 
based  on  two  distinct  and  independent  surveys.  The  Sayer  chart  is 
on  the  scale  about  3  miles  to  the  inch.  The  outline  of  the  island  is 
the  same  flat  crescent,  like  that  shown  by  Des  Barres,  and  the  length 
is  "  about  30  Miles,  in  Breadth  across  the  Pond,  Meadow  and  upland 
a  Mile;"  but  the  details  are  quite  different.  There  is  no  indication 
of  the  height  of  the  sand  dunes,  and  the  local  place-names  differ.  The 
opening  from  the  salt  lake  through  the  North  Ridge  has  been  drifted 
over  and  appears  as  a  sand  flat,  marked,  "The  Place  to  Dig  for  a 
Harbour. "  Instead  there  is  an  opening  through  the  South  Beach  at 
the  western  end  of  the  salt  lake.  The  South  Beach  is  shown  with  a 
line  of  dunes  running  for  six  miles  from  the  east  end,  then  for  the  rest  of 
its  length  it  is  shown  as  a  mere  sand  flat  with  a  few  remnants  of  dunes. 
This  chart  lacks  the  detail  of  the  location  of  the  fresh-water  ponds 
and  the  numerous  ridges  of  dunes  such  as  appears  on  the  Des  Barres 
chart. 

Superintendent  James  Morris,  in  1801,  estimated  one  hill  at  the 
east  end  to  be  200  feet  high  and  others  to  be  150  feet  high. 

Lieut.  Burton,  in  1808,  made  a  survey  of  the  island  when  it  was  pro- 
posed to  place  a  lighthouse  there..  He  reported  the  island  to  be  30 
miles  in  length  and  2  miles  in  breadth,  with  hills  from  150  to  200  feet, 
beginning  at  the  west  end,  and  attaining  their  greatest  elevation  at 
Mount  Knight,  its  eastern  extremity. 

When,  in  1802,  the  position  for  the  main  station  was  chosen,  it  was 
one  remarkably  sheltered  among  the  sand  hills,  5  miles  from  the  West 
End. 

"  In  1814  the  Superintendent,  Mr.  Hudson,  wrote  the  Government, 
that  owing  to  the  rapid  manner  in  which  the  island  was  being  washed 


20        PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

away  it  would  be  necessary  for  him  to  remove  the  establishment  to 
a  more  secure  position;  that  within  4  years  previous,  4  miles  had  gone 
entirely  from  the  west  end,  leaving  but  a  mile  between  him  and  the 
sea  which  was  advancing  steadily.  On  the  north  side  an  area  equal 
to  4,0  ft.  wide  and  3  miles  long  had  gone  bodily  from  the  island  during 
a  single  night.  He  intended  to  move  the  buildings  to  a  place  called 
'Middle  Houses',  3  miles  further  east. 

"In  1820  the  Superintendent  again  wrote  the  Government,  that 
not  only  had  the  old  site  of  the  main  station  gone  seaward;  but  the 
sea  was  again  encroaching  to  such  an  alarming  extent  that  he  would 
be  obliged  to  once  more  remove  the  station,  and  had  selected  a  place 
known  as  the  'Haul  over/  4  miles  further  east.  Here  it  enjoyed  a 
short  respite  when  again  the  sea  threatened  its  foundation.  *  *  * 
again  the  sea  advanced,  the  two  following  winters  were  noted  for  the 
frequency  of  storms,  and  the  havoc  made  along  the  sand  cliffs,  every 
gale  sensibly  diminishing  the  western  portion  of  the  island,  toppling 
great  masses  of  sand  hills  into  the  surf  below  as  well  as  changing  the 
surface  of  the  interior.  One  instance  *  *  *  when  thousands  of 
tons  of  sand  were  carried  from  the  beach  and  strewn  over  the  island, 
smothering  vegetation,  so  that  hundreds  of  horses  died  for  want  of 
food."1 

It  has  been  argued  by  J.  B.  Gilpin2,  and  following  him  by  Prof. 
John  Macoun3,  that  the  action  of  the  wind  is  here  always  constructive, 
that  it  takes  the  sand  from  the  dry  upper  beach,  moves  it  inland  and 
builds  it  up  into  the  dunes,  but  that  it  does  not  act  as  a  waster.  It 
does  build  up,  of  course,  but  on  the  lee  side  it  is  also  picking  up  the 
sand  grains  and  carrying  them  out  over  the  sea,  where  at  the  slightest 
lull  they  drop  into  the  water,  and  are  lost,  as  far  as  Sable  Island  is 
concerned.  That  the  wind  is  constantly  shifting  the  sand  in  what- 
ever direction  the  wind  happens  to  blow,  is  forcibly  brought  to  the 
attention  of  anyone  who  ventures  out  of  doors  in  a  strong  wind.  If 
the  wind  is  blowing  20  miles  an  hour  or  more,  it  picks  up  so  much  sand 
that  it  acts  like  a  veritable  sand-blast.  In  consequence  all  the  lights 
of  glass  in  the  windows  become  quickly  dulled  and  soon  so  abraded 
that  they  are  no  longer  transparent  but  only  translucent.  Any  trav- 
eller feels  it  and  is  forced  to  shield  his  eyes,  face,  and  hands  from  its 
severe  action. 


1  Macdonald,  S.  D.:  Trans.  N.  S.  Inst.  Nat.  Sci.  vi.  part  2,  113  (1884). 

2Gilpin,  J.  B.:  Sable  Island,  19  (1858). 

*  Ann.  Rep.  Geol.  Surv.  Can.  n.  s.  xii.  213A  (1899). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  21 

As  stated,  this  shifting  of  the  sand  often  completely  buries  the  veg- 
etation of  considerable  areas.  This  is  indicated  by  the  layers  of  dark 
peat  usually  less  than  an  inch  in  thickness  that  may  be  seen  in  vert- 
ical sections  of  the  dunes  such  as  are  often  exposed  when  the  wind 
opens  a  new  gulch.  In  1913,  two  of  the  Life  Saving  Stations,  no.  2 
and  no.  4,  were  seriously  threatened  with  being  buried  by  the  shift- 
ing sand.  Both  were  situated  near  and  in  the  lee  of  the  North  Ridge, 
the  high  and  nearly  continuous  line  of  grass-covered  dunes  that  skirts 
the  crest  of  the  North  Beach.  In  each  case  the  wind  had  made  a  break 
and  opened  a  gulch  in  the  North  Ridge  opposite  the  stations.  Every 
north  wind  enlarged  the  two  gulches  and  piled  the  sand,  tons  of  it, 
around  the  two  stations.  The  necessity  cf  moving  these  stations  was 
seriously  being  considered. 

The  old  main  station-house  was  again  moved,  two  miles  farther 
east.  When  the  sea  later  undermined  the  new  foundation,  it  took 
the  old  house  too. 

A  chart  of  Sable  Island  by  Capt.  Joseph  Darby  was  published  in 
1824  and  revised  in  1829.  It  is  on  the  scale  of  3  miles  to  the  inch. 
The  island  is  shown  as  25  J/£  miles  long,  and  the  South  Beach  is 
shown  with  an  almost  continuous  line  of  dunes.  Wallace  Lake  ap- 
pears 15  miles  in  length,  and  with  the  dunes  extending  2  miles  beyond 
its  western  end. 

Capt.  Darby  reports  in  Blunt' s  Coast  Pilot  of  1832,  "  I  have  known 
this  island  for  28  years,  during  which  time  the  west  end  has  decreased 
in  length  7  miles,  although  the  outer  breakers  of  the  N.  W.  bar  have 
the  same  bearings  from  the  west  end  of  the  Island  as  they  formerly 
had,  demonstrating  that  the  whole  bank  and  bar  are  travelling  east- 
ward. " 

Mr.  Miller,  in  1833,  selected  a  site  for  a  lighthouse,  but  in  1837,  on 
revisiting  it,  he  found  that  it  had  undergone  a  complete  change  and 
he  was  forced  to  recommend  a  temporary  site  and  a  lighthouse  such 
as  could  be  easily  removed. 

A  severe  gale  in  1842,  completely  demolished  an  old  landmark,  a 
pyramidal  hill  near  the  west-end  station  said  to  be  100  feet  in  height, 
Under  this  were  found  relics  left  by  Maj.  Elliott  and  men  of  the  43d 
Regiment,  wrecked  here  in  1761. 

The  Hon.  Joseph  Howe  visited  the  island  as  Commissioner  in  1851. 
In  his  report  is  the  startling  statement  that  during  30  years,  11  miles 
by  actual  measurement  of  the  western  end  had  been  washed  away. 


22       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

At  this  time,  1851,  Capt.  H.  W.  Bayfield1  made  another  survey  of 
Sable  Island  and  the  bank  about  it.  He  determined  the  position  of 
the  East  and  West  Ends  as  59°  45'  59"  W.  long.,  and  60° 8' 57"  W. 
long.  "The  east  extreme  of  the  sand  hills  alone  remains  unchanged 
for  comparison  with  the  observations  of  Admiral  Ogle's  officers  [in 
1828],  and  it  is  satisfactory  to  find,  that  there  was  not  only  no  reason 
to  find  fault  with  their  determination,  but  that  their  latitude  and  al- 
so the  meridian  distance  from  Halifax  is  the  same  as  ours,  within  two 
or  three  seconds  of  space.  About  two  miles  of  the  west  end  of  the 
Island  have  been  washed  away  since  they  observed  in  1828,  and  this 
reduction  of  the  Island,  and  consequent  addition  to  the  western  bar 
is  reported  to  have  been  in  operation  at  least  since  1811,  and  seems 
almost  certain  to  continue.  A  comparison  some  years  hence  with  the 
present  survey,  can  alone  show  precisely  the  amount  of  waste  in  any 
given  time,  the  correctness  or  otherwise  of  the  reported  shifting  of  the 
bars,  and  of  the  opinion  that  the  Island  is  insensibly  becoming  nar- 
rower, &c.  All  agree  that  there  has  been  no  material  change  in  the 
east  end  of  the  Island  within  the  memory  of  anyone  acquainted  with 
it,  *  *  *." 

For  the  next  twenty  years  the  island  enjoyed  a  period  of  compara- 
tive stability  and  calm. 

The  winter  of  1881-82,  was  marked  by  a  succession  of  severe  gales 
in  which  great  erosion  took  place.  The  winds  wasted  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  dunes  and  the  waves  chopped  off  whole  sections  from  the 
end  of  the  island.  During  one  gale  an  area  of  70  feet  by  one-quarter 
mile  vanished,  as  a  month  later  in  a  few  hours  did  33  feet  of  the  whole 
breadth  of  the  island.  Early  in  February  occurred  another  violent 
gale,  this  time  coincident  with  a  high  run  of  tides.  The  sea  had  worn 
away  the  embankment  of  dunes  to  within  forty  feet  of  a  bluff  on 
which  stood  the  light-keeper's  barn.  All  hands  stood  by.  The  cat- 
tle were  removed  to  the  porch  of  the  lighthouse.  As  the  staff  were 
watching  the  force  of  the  waves  that  were  undermining  the  embank- 
ment, suddenly  they  saw  a  depression  in  the  margin  of  the  cliff,  and 
the  next  instant  an  area  equal  to  48  feet  wide  and  one-quarter  mile 
long  vanished  into  the  breakers  on  the  north  side.  During  the  night 
the  forty  feet  in  front  of  the  barn  vanished,  and  the  next  morning  the 
barn  itself  went  crashing  down  into  the  waves. 


1  Bayfield,  Capt.  H.  W.:  Append,  to  Journ.  of  House  of  Assembly,  Prov. 
of  N.  S.  no.  24,  167-168  (1851). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  23 

The  sea  was  now  within  12  feet  of  the  West  Lighthouse,  a  splendid 
tower  built  in  1873  at  a  cost  of  $40,000.  During  two  days  of  un- 
usually quiet  weather,  a  heavy  ground-swell  set  in  from  the  south- 
east undermining  the  embankment  till  the  lighthouse  canted  over 
dangerously.  Before  the  crash  the  apparatus  was  removed.  Later  it 
was  installed  about  a  mile  further  east.  The  sea  continued  to  ad- 
vance and  in  1888  the  light  was  again  removed,  two  miles  farther  east. 

From  this  time,  another  period  of  comparative  stability  started. 
It  will  be  seen  that  such  has  been  the  regular  course  of  events:  dur- 
ing a  few  years  every  storm  causes  violent  destruction  of  a  part  of  the 
island,  then  follows  a  period  of  10,  20,  or  40  years  of  quiet.  This  is 
probably  to  be  explained  by  the  protecting  action  of  the  sand  washed 
from  the  island  and  deposited  on  the  surrounding  bars  during  the 
years  of  active  erosion.  The  building-up  of  these  bars  makes  a  pro- 
tecting ring  upon  which  the  waves  break  their  fury  before  reaching 
the  island.  When  these  bars  have  been  worn  down  the  waves  can 
again  vigorously  attack  the  island,  and  another  period  of  destruction 
ensues. 

We  have  no  more  recent  survey,  but  only  the  observations  of  those 
stationed  on  the  island,  which  tell  us  that  it  is  now  twenty  miles  long, 
less  than  one  mile  broad,  and  its  highest  point,  Rigging  Hill,  nearly 
100  feet  high. 

CHANGES  IN  WALLACE  LAKE. 

The  physical  changes  in  Sable  Island  are  also  evidenced  in  Wallace 
Lake,  the  great  salt-water  pond  that  occupies  the  center  of  the  island 
for  over  half  its  length. 

Le  Mercier  gives  us  our  first  good  account1  of  this  lake,  in  the  year 
1753.  "Within  these  seven  or  eight  Years,  Providence  hath  opened 
a  Communication  between  the  great  Pond  (fifteen  Miles  long)  and 
the  Sea,  which  hath  made  a  safe  and  large  Harbour;  but  the  Entrance 
is  barred  so  that  large  and  sharp  Vessels  cannot  get  into  it;  but  as 
there  is  about  8  Feet  of  Water  over  the  Bar  at  high  Water  there  is 
sufficient  Passage  (as  we  know  by  Experience)  for  Vessels  of  30  Tuns 
or  more,  if  not  built  Sharp. " 

On  Des  Barres'  chart  from  the  survey  of  1766  and  1767  the  lake  is 
shown  very  much  as  at  present,  but  with  a  broad  opening  to  the  sea 
through  the  dunes  on  the  north  side,  with  soundings  in  its  center  of 

Boston  Weekly  News  Letter,  February  8  (1753). 


24       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

12  feet,  and  with  a  total  length  of  12  miles.  Beyond  its  western  end 
the  sand  dunes  stretched  continuously  for  about  5  miles.  The  South 
Beach  was  half  a  mile  in  width  and  had  an  almost  continuous  line  of 
dunes  50  feet  in  height.  In  1808,  Superintendent  James  Morris 
writes  of  this  channel,  "  It  is  completely  shut,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
trace  where  it  has  been."  In  1828,  Superintendent  Edward  Hodg- 
son refers  to  this  obliterated  channel,  urging  that  it  be  reopened. 
Some  years  afterward  a  terrific  storm  made  a  breach  in  the  South 
Beach,  again  opening  the  salt  pond  to  the  sea,  and  making  it  available 
as  a  harbor  for  small  vessels.  In  1836,  during  a  severe  storm  two 
American  fishermen  ran  into  this  protected  harbor  for  shelter,  but  the 
storm  completely  blocked  up  the  channel,  imprisoning  the  vessels, 
whose  weathered  timbers  now  lie  on  the  shores  of  Wallace  Lake.  One 
of  the  gales  in  the  winter  of  1881  opened  a  gulch  toward  the  eastern 
end,  which  so  drained  the  lake  as  to  reduce  it  to  8  miles  in  length,  and 
rendered  it  so  shallow  as  to  be  no  longer  useful  in  transporting  ma- 
terials from  one  Life  Saving  Station  to  another.  This  gulch  is  now 
closed,  and  all  the  dunes  beyond  the  western  end  of  the  lake  have  been 
washed  away,  only  a  narrow  beach  now  separating  the  lake  at  this 
point  from  the  sea.  The  waves  have  eaten  off  almost  all  of  the  South 
Beach,  all  of  the  line  of  dunes  is  gone  except  a  small  remnant  near  the 
eastern  end,  and  the  beach  itself  is  so  narrow  now,  that  waves  break 
over  it  in  heavy  weather.  It  is  no  longer  possible  to  maintain  a  Life 
Saving  Station  on  this  South  Beach.  There  is  usually  an  opening, 
now  through  one  or  another  part  of  the  narrow  South  Beach.  The 
wind  has  drifted  sand  across  and  filled  up  a  strip,  a  mile  wide  in  1913, 
dividing  Wallace  Lake  into  two  unequal  parts. 

If  we  look  back  over  this  evidence  and  draw  a  contrast,  it  is  a  very 
striking  one,  for  from  various  surveys  of  1766-67,  1768,  1770,  and 
1801,  the  island  was  about  30  miles  long,  1  to  2  miles  broad,  with  hills 
150  to  200  feet  high;  whereas  now  it  is  but  20  miles  long,  hardly  1 
mile  broad,  and  the  highest  hill  does  not  even  attain  100  feet. 

If  the  determination  of  the  location  of  the  island  in  the  earlier  sur- 
veys was  correct,  the  whole  island  has  been  moving  slowly  eastward. 
The  prevailing  winds  are  westerly;  the  western  end  of  the  island  is  the 
lower  and  has  suffered  all  of  the  severe  erosion  by  wind  and  storm; 
and  the  eastern  end  is  broader,  with  higher  hills,  and  more  drifting 
unanchored  sand.  As  the  bare  undercut  western  side  of  the  cross- 
ridges  of  dunes  testifies  the  prevailing  westerly  winds  are  the  dom- 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  25 

inant  eroding  factor  on  the  surface  of  the  island,  so  that  it  is  quite 
possible  that  the  whole  island  is,  under  the  compulsion  of  these  west- 
erly winds,  slowly  creeping  eastward  along  the  summit  of  the  Sable 
Island  Bank. 

In  any  case,  the  island  is  rapidly  wasting  away.  Three  hundred 
years  from  now  Sable  Island,  in  all  probability,  will  have  vanished, 
and  then  there  will  be  no  lighthouse  to  warn  the  mariners  of  those 
times  from  the  treacherous  bars  on  the  summit  of  the  Sable  Island 
Bank.  The  study  of  its  fauna  and  flora  will  then  be  ancient  history, 
only  to  be  pursued  by  consulting  the  few  specimens  in  the  larger  mus- 
eums and  herbaria. 

THE  ENDEMIC  FRESH-WATER  SPONGE. 

An  endemic  species  of  fresh-water  sponge,  Heteromeyenia  macouni 
Mac  Kay1  has  been  described  from  Sable  Island.  "  This  sponge  was 
collected  in  considerable  abundance  on  the  18th  of  August,  1899,  by 
Professor  John  Macoun,  Botanist  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Canada, 
in  the  fresh  water  pond  found  in  the  center  of  that  great  sand-shoal 
in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  well  known  as  Sable  Island,  nearly  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  Nova  Scotia,  the  nearest  part  of  the  continent.  It 
was  growing  around  the  submerged  portion  of  the  slender  stems  of 
Myriophyllum  tenellum,  Bigelow,  in  green,  compact,  lobular  masses, 
showing,  where  broken,  numerous  orange  yellow  gemmules. 

"It  appears  to  approach  most  nearly  to  the  following  fresh  water 
sponges  described  by  Potts :  Heteromeyenia  ryderi  v.  baleni,  found  from 
Florida  to  New  Jersey,  in  its  spiculation;  and  Heteromeyenia  ryderi  v. 
walshii,  from  Gilder  Pond,  Massachusetts,  in  the  fasciculation  of  its 
skeleton  spicules."  Gilder  Pond  is  at  1,800  feet  altitude  on  the  side 
of  Mt.  Everett,  Mount  Washington,  Berkshire  County,  Massachu- 
setts.2 

IPSWICH  SPARROW. 

The  Ipswich  Sparrow,  first  discovered  in  1868  by  C.  J.  Maynard 
among  the  sand  dunes  at  Ipswich,  has  constantly  been  a  source  of 
interest  to  ornithologists.  Repeated  observations  along  the  Atlan- 
tic seacoast  proved  it  to  be  a  regular  migrant  starting  south  from  Nova 
Scotia  in  September,  stopping  at  the  bleak  wind-swept  areas  of  sand 
dunes  on  its  journey  to  Maine,  Virginia  or  sometimes  to  Georgia. 

*Mac  Kay,  A.  H.:  Fresh  Water  Sponge  from  Sable  Island.  Trans. 
N.  S.  Inst.  Sci.  x.  319-322  (1900). 

2Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Philadelphia,  231  (1887). 


26       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

In  the  early  spring  this  shy,  quiet  bird  follows  the  coast  northward  to 
its  nesting  grounds.  In  1884,  Robert  Ridgway1  suggested  that  a  ser- 
ies cf  eggs  from  Sable  Island,  collected  by  J.  P.  Dodd  in  July,  1862, 
might  in  reality  be  those  of  the  Ipswich  Sparrow. 

Immediately  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam2  wrote  to  Rev.  W.  A.  Des  Brisay, 
a  resident  missionary  at  Sable  Island,  and  obtained  a  specimen  of 
the  common  "Gray  Bird"  of  the  Island.  The  fact  that  this  proved  to 
be  an  Ipswich  Sparrow  added  another  link  to  the  chain  of  accumula- 
ting evidence .  It  remained  for  Dr.  Jonathan  D wight,  Jr. ,  however,  act- 
ually to  determine  the  breeding-haunts  of  this  large  pale-colored  spar- 
row. In  1894,  Dr.  Dwight  visited  Sable  Island,  remaining  there  from 
the  28th  of  May  till  the  14th  of  June.  During  that  time  he  found  the 
Ipswich  Sparrow  breeding  there;  he  studied  its  song,  its  habits;  he 
collected  sets  of  eggs  and  the  cleverly  hidden  nests;  and  he  learned 
that  some  of  these  "  Gray  Birds"  as  they  are  called  by  the  Life  Savers 
on  Sable  Island,  are  all  the  year  residents,  though  most  of  them  mi- 
grate southward  in  the  fall. 

Persistent  search  on  the  mainland  of  Nova  Scotia,  on  Cape  Breton, 
on  Prince  Edward  Island,  and  among  the  sand  hills  of  the  Magdalen 
Islands  has  failed  to  reveal  or  even  hint  that  the  Ipswich  Sparrow  ever 
breeds  anywhere  except  on  Sable  Island. 

The  bird  is  so  small  and  so  retiring  that  it  has  never  attracted  the 
notice  of  the  fishermen,  hunters,  and  desperadoes,  who  for  centuries, 
just  hew  many  no  one  can  say,  have  frequented  the  island  and  brought 
persecution  or  destruction  to  one  or  another  kind  of  animal  life.  Al- 
though neither  man  nor  other  living  enemies  disturb  the  bird,  it  does 
seem  seriously  threatened  by  other  factors. 

Since  all  of  the  individuals  of  this  species  breed  on  Sable  Island, 
is  there  a  definite  maximum  of  breeding  pairs  that  can  be  supported? 
Of  course  this  must  be  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  on  a  bleak, 
sterile  island  of  about  fifteen  square  miles  in  area,  this  maximum  num- 
ber cannot  be  very  large  and  it  must  now  be  smaller  than  in  the  past 
when  Sable  Island  was  much  larger  in  size.  But  what  of  the  future, 
when  more  and  more  of  the  island  disappears  in  the  waves,  till  finally 
it  ceases  to  exist?  Will  the  Ipswich  Sparrow  seek  a  new  breeding- 
ground,  or  is  it  a  species  grown  so  conservative  that  it  cannot  make 
the  change,  and  will  vanish  with  its  island  he  me?  The  writer  makes 

iAuk,  i.  292  (1884). 
2  Auk,  i.  390  (1884). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  27 

no  attempt  to  answer  these  questions  that  he  has  posed,  but  leaves 
them  for  the  reader,  or  to  the  observers  of  future  generations. 

NATIVE  AND  INTRODUCED  ANIMALS. 

Most  of  the  early  voyagers  were  drawn  to  Sable  Island  because  of 
the  animal  life,  natural  or  introduced,  that  existed  there.  The  Portu- 
guese fishermen,  about  1520,  placed  cattle  on  the  island,  where  they 
persisted  and  multiplied  greatly. 

Johannes  de  Laet,  in  1633,  mentions  the  cattle  and  swine,  as  well 
as  seals  and  black  foxes. 

The  convicts  abandoned  by  Marquis  de  la  Roche  in  1598,  lived  on 
the  cattle  and  clothed  themselves  in  the  skins  of  the  seals. 

John  Rose  of  Boston,  when  shipwrecked  on  Sable  Island  in  1633, 
saw,  "about  800  cattle,  small  and  great  all  red,  and  the  largest  he 
ever  saw,  and  many  foxes  whereof  some  perfect  black."  In  the 
years  that  followed  many  parties  sailed  from  Boston  to  the  island  to 
hunt  the  wild  cattle,  black  fox,  and  the  walrus. 

The  cattle  must  have  been  killed  off  in  the  mean  time  for  Andrew 
Le  Mercier  says,  "When  I  took  Possession  of  the  Island  [1738]  there 
was  no  four-footed  creatures  upon  it,  but  a  few  foxes  some  red  and 
some  black  (some  of  which  remain  to  this  day)  [1753]."  From  his 
time  on  there  are  frequent  mentions  of  wild  horses  or  ponies  on  the 
island,  but  these  we  consider  elsewhere. 

In  1801,  with  the  outfit  of  the  Humane  Establishment,  there  were 
introduced  on  the  island  1  three-year  old  bull,  2  young  cows  in  calf, 
1  young  boar,  2  young  sows,  1  male  and  1  female  goat,  2  rams,  8 
ewes,  and  1  horse.  Superintendent  Morris,  in  1802,  referred  to  the 
wild  horses,  "  the  only  animals  found  on  the  island,  if  we  except  the 
rats  and  mice,  which  at  one  time  became  very  troublesome."  Of 
the  animals  introduced,  it  was  found  that  the  sheep  did  not  thrive, 
all  dying  except  two  pet  lambs  brought  up  in  the  house.  Several 
later  attempts  were  made  to  maintain  them  on  the  island,  but  though 
done  with  care,  all  were  unsuccessful.  "  The  animals  seemed  to  thrive, 
but  one  after  another  would  be  found  dead,  though  quite  fat.  The 
officers  in  charge  of  the  admiralty  survey  reported  that  they  found  a 
plant  which  was  fatal  to  sheep."1  It  has  not  been  possible  to  deter- 
mine who  made  this  report,  nor  to  what  species  it  alludes. 

The  hogs  ran  wild  and  soon  became  quite  fierce.  They  were  all 
destroyed  in  1814  because  of  their  ghoulish  tastes  when  shipwrecks 
occurred. 

1  Patterson,  George:  Trans.  Roy.  Soc.  Can.  xii.  §  2,  20  (1894). 


28       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

English  rabbits  were  introduced,  and  they  multiplied  so  that  they 
formed  an  abundant  source  of  food.  Then  rats  escaping  from  wrecked 
vessels  reached  the  island  and  became  so  numerous  as  to  be  a  plague, 
eating  up  so  much  of  the  stores  that  Superintendent  Morris  and  his 
men  were  seriously  threatened  with  starvation.  Then  the  rats  by 
killing  the  young,  nearly  annihilated  the  stock  of  rabbits.  The  gov- 
ernment sent  out  a  number  of  cats,  which  killed  the  rats,  and  then 
finished  the  rabbits.  The  cats  soon  became  very  wild  and  so  num- 
erous as  to  be  troublesome.  Dogs  were  then  imported,  and  they, 
helped  by  men  with  shot-guns,  finished  the  cats.  Rabbits  were  again 
introduced  and  throve,  until  they  were  discovered  by  a  snowy  owl. 
The  owls  soon  came  in  numbers  to  this  happy  hunting-ground,  and 
they  finished  the  rabbits.  In  1882,  rabbits  were  again  introduced, 
and  the  story  is  almost  parallel  with  the  foregoing.  They  multiplied 
and  became  such  a  nuisance  that  in  1889,  seven  cats  were  brought 
from  Halifax,  and  in  1890,  thirty  more.  While  the  cats  were  winter- 
ing and  fattening  on  the  rabbits,  seven  red  foxes  were  brought  from 
the  mainland  and  in  a  single  season  they  made  an  end  of  all  the  rab- 
bits and  cats.  These  records  show  in  a  very  graphic  way  what  hap- 
pens when  an  additional  species  of  animal  is  introduced  on  a  small 
island,  what  a  severe  struggle  for  existence  takes  place  between  it  and 
the  species  already  there. 

SABLE  ISLAND  PONIES. 

From  nearly  every  recent  voyager  to  Sable  Island,  we  get  accounts 
of  more  or  less  fullness  about  the  wild  ponies,  but  we  must  turn  to 
J.  Bernard  Gilpin1  for  the  best  record.  He  assumes  that  the  pres- 
ent gangs  of  Sable  Island  ponies  are  the  descendants  of  a  few  horses 
of  ordinary  New  England  stock  landed  there  by  the  Rev.  Andrew  Le 
Mercier  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  before  [1714].  This  ap- 
proximate date  is  earlier  than  Le  Mercier's  actual  connection  with 
the  island,  for2  "on  the  6th  of  March,  1738,  he  wrote  to  Governor 
Armstrong  [of  Nova  Scotia],  inclosing  a  petition  for  a  grant  of  it,  on 
behalf  of  himself  and  his  associates.  His  design  was  stated  as  being 
to  stcck  it  with  such  domestic  animals  as  might  be  useful  in  preserv- 
ing the  lives  of  mariners  who  might  escape  from  shipwrecks;  though, 

1  Gilpin,  J.  Bernard :  On  Introduced  Species  of  Nova  Scotia.     Trans    N. 
S.  Inst.  Nat.  Sci.  i.  part  2.  60  (1864). 

2  Patterson,  George:  Sable  Island:  Its  History  and  Phenomena.     Trans. 
Roy.  Soc.  Can.  xii.  §  2.  11  (1894). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  29 

from  the  suitableness  of  much  of  the  soil  for  grazing  and  the  oppor- 
tunities afforded  for  seal  hunting,  they  no  doubt  hoped  to  combine 
profit  with  benevolence.  The  petition  was  approved,  but  the  grant 
does  not  seem  to  have  actually  passed.  He  was  unwilling  to  pay 
the  penny  an  acre  quit  rent  demanded  by  the  instructions  of  his  maj- 
esty's government.  *  *  *  in  the  mean  time  Mr.  M.  sent  a  stock 
of  cattle  to  the  island,  preparatory  to  removing  his  family  thither. 

"In  1740  he  again  applies  for  a  grant  of  the  island,  but  represents 
that  as  the  land  is,  '  low,  boggy  and  sandy  soil,  with  large  ponds  or 
settlings  of  water  occasioned  by  the  overflowing  of  the  tides,  he  thinks 
the  penny  an  acre,  too  much  for  what  cannot  be  improved. '  On  the 
16th  August  Governor  Mascarene  writes  to  the  board  of  trade  that 
it  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  the  public  to  encourage  the  settle- 
ment, by  affording  relief  to  the  ship-wrecked,  and  profitable  to  the 
proprietors  by  grazing,  fishing,  and  killing  seals  for  their  oil  skins. 
Le  Mercier  does  not  even  then  seem  to  have  received  his  grant,  but 
he  continued  to  have  cattle  on  the  island  for  some  years,  and  also 
some  settlers,  and  through  his  efforts  many  lives  were  saved.  But 
he  complains  that  evil-disposed  fishermen  stole  his  cattle  and  goods, 
and  in  1744  we  find  him  advertising  in  Boston  papers  a  reward  of  £40 
for  the  discovery  of  the  depredators. " 

In  1753,  Le  Mercier1  writes,  "When  I  took  Possession  of  the  Island 
there  was  no  four-footed  Creatures  upon  it,  but  a  few  foxes  some  red 
and  some  black  (some  of  which  remain  to  this  Day)  now  there  are  I 
suppose  about  90  Sheep,  between  20  or  30  Horses  including  Colts, 
Stallions  and  breeding  Mares,  about  30  or  4%0  Cows  tame  and  Wild, 
and  40  Hogs." 

It  is  said  that  about  this  time  Le  Mercier,  failing  to  find  a  pur- 
chaser, abandoned  his  interests  on  Sable  Island.  Even  though  we 
cannot  substantiate  this,  we  can  demonstrate  that  horses  were  placed 
on  Sable  Island  by  Thomas  Hancock. 

About  1760,  according  to  Lieutenant-Governor  Sir  John  Went- 
worth,2  Thomas  Hancock,  a  Boston  merchant,  desiring  to  relieve  the 
suffering  of  those  that  chanced  to  be  shipwrecked  on  Sable  Island, 
fitted  out  a  schooner  and  upon  her  embarked  "Horses,  Cows,  Sheep, 
Goats,  Hogs  and  Animals  likely  to  live  on  the  Island.  These  were 
landed  there  and  generally  answered  very  well.  No  great  depre- 
dations were  made  on  them  till  the  commencement  of  the  American 


Boston  Weekly  News-Letter,  February  8  (1753). 
2  Kept,  on  Canadian  Archives,  86  (1895). 


30       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

War,  during  the  course  of  which,  privateersmen,  and  lawless  persons 
of  every  description  frequently  landed  on  the  island,  and  by  the  close 
of  the  War  none  of  the  Animals  remained  except  a  number  of  Horses. 
These  Horses  have  been  the  means  of  affording  food  to  many  unfor- 
tunate persons  who  have  since  been  thrown  on  the  Island.  *  *  * 
Many  of  them  have  been  wantonly  shot  by  persons  wintering  on  the 
island  for  the  purpose  of  wrecking.  By  such  means  as  these,  the 
greater  part  of  the  horses  have  been  destroyed,  and  unless  some  rem- 
edy is  found,  this  last  hope  of  the  unfortunate  Mariner,  will  be  entire- 
ly cut  off." 

Thus  it  is  certain  that  horses  of  New  England  stock  were  left  on 
Sable  Island  in  1753,  or  at  least  in  1760,  and  that  Gilpin's  assumption 
that  these  were  the  parent  stock  of  the  present-day  Sable  Island  ponies 
is  quite  justified. 

Gilpin  describes  them  as  he  found  them,  "about  four  hundred  in 
number,  divided  into  about  six  herds,  or  gangs  (so  called),  each  gang 
headed  by  an  old  male,  who  was  sufficiently  conspicuous  by  his  masses 
of  mane  and  tail.  Each  herd  had  its  separate  feeding  ground,  to 
which  the  individuals  composing  it  seemed  to  be  equally  attached,  as 
to  their  leader.  On  driving  over  the  Island,  and  mixing  all  herds, 
promiscuously,  as  we  once  did,  by  the  next  morning  they  had  return- 
ed to  their  separate  feeding  grounds,  some  of  them  travelling  ten  or 
twelve  miles  during  the  night.  On  riding  towards  them  the  herd  was 
seen  grazing  at  the  distance  of  a  mile,  with  several  outlying  parties. 
The  leader  was  observed  repeatedly  to  drive  these  outlying  mares 
and  young  horses  into  the  general  herd,  who  all  now  began  a  general 
retreat  at  a  slow  trot,  with  the  exception  of  the  old  stallion,  who  faced 
the  approaching  party,  passing  backwards  and  forwards,  frequently 
stopping  and  tossing  back  the  mane  from  his  eyes.  The  resemblance 
to  a  convoy  crowding  all  sail  to  leeward,  and  a  frigate  in  stays  await- 
ing the  enemy,  was  perfect.  On  pressing  him,  however,  with  our  rid- 
ing horses,  he  joined  his  herd  now  in  a  gallop,  but  keeping  always  in 
the  rear.  His  instinct  taught  him  the  unequal  match  with  man,  but 
the  air  of  leadership  was  unmistakable.  They  often  fight  among 
themselves,  one  stallion  visiting  the  herd  of  a  second.  I  saw  a  horse 
nearly  disabled  in  one  of  these  encounters.  The  young  horses,  be- 
tween two  and  three  years  old,  are  driven  out  of  the  herd  by  the  lead- 
er. I  watched  one,  hour  after  hour,  driving  a  young  grey  colt  with 
the  most  furious  bites,  to  a  distance.  The  young  horses  live  in  small 
bands  on  the  outskirts  of  the  herd,  and  sometimes  an  old  or  disabled 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  31 

mare,  unable  to  keep  up,  drops  behind;  she  is  an  object  of  the  great- 
est attraction  to  them,  soon  produces  foals,  and  thus  a  nucleus  of  a 
new  herd  is  formed. 

"  I  never  saw  one  lying  down  to  rest.  They  seem  to  sleep  standing. 
They  persistingly  refuse  the  shelter  of  a  stable,  or  the  society  of  man, 
always  moving  from  him.  In  the  roughest  weather  escaping  from  the 
stable  they  would  put  a  mile  or  two  between  them  and  it,  before  they 
stopped  to  graze;  in  this  respect  differing  widely  from  the  semi-wild 
cattle,  which  besieged  the  barn  doors  with  their  lowing  during  the 
winter.  *  *  * 

"  To  sum  up  then  what  we  read  from  this  narrow  page  in  natural 
history,  opened  to  our  view,  and  in  which  my  sole  assumption  is 
their  origin  from  two  or  three  individuals,  we  find  that,  left  to  them- 
selves, following  the  laws  of  natural  selection,  their  descendants  in 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  have  returned  to  the  habits  and  manners 
of  the  tarpany,  or  only  stock  of  wild  horses  now  existing  in  the  world. 
That,  in  regard  to  their  form  they  differ  in  some  respects  from  the 
tarpany,  though  agreeing  with  them  in  size,  hairy  head,  and  thick 
coat:  but,  although  differing  from  these,  they  have  wonderfully  re- 
produced forms,  of  whose  existence  we  only  know  from  the  sculptures 
of  Nineveh  and  the  friezes  of  the  Parthenon,  where  we  find  the  low 
stature  contrasted  by  the  tall  rider,  the  abundant  tail  and  mane  either 
cropped  or  tied  and  plaited,  to  prevent  its  encumbering  the  rider,  the 
hairy  jowl  and  horizontal  head,  and  the  short  and  cock-thrappled 
neck,  and  in  some  figures  the  short  croup  and  low  tail.  * 

"As  regards  colour  we  find  that  the  original  stock  carried  with 
them  the  germ  of  all  colours  known  from  ages,  not  only  the  bays  and 
browns  which  we  consider  the  natural  colours,  but  the  more  startling 
varieties  of  pure  white,  and  piebald, — piebalds  known  from  ages,  on 
old  China  coin,  upon  the  ancient  Thracian  hills,  from  whose  back 
Attila  ravished  worlds,  and  the  mark  of  whose  foot,  it  was  his  boast, 
that  neither  nature  nor  man  could  efface.  We  find,  too,  the  chest- 
nuts prevailing  with  their  extremities  coloured  like  their  bodies,  their 
tails  and  manes  growing  ever  lighter,  and  a  tendency  to  a  dark  streak 
on  the  back  and  withers;  lastly,  the  blue  greys  or  mouse  or  tans,  with 
the  same  dark  streak.  Here,  too,  there  is  nothing  new;  the  ancient 
Assyrian  dun,  and  the  Phrygian  cerulean  breeds  of  the  time  of  Ho- 
mer, are  all  prototypes,  though  the  latter  is  scarcely  known  among  our 
domestic  breeds." 


32       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

At  various  times  the  government  authorities  concerned  with  Sable 
Island  have  tried  to  improve  the  breed  of  the  ponies.  "A  few  un- 
successful experiments1  have  been  tried,  and  the  tame  horses  being  let 
loose,  have  been  killed  by  the  wild  ones."  Howe  recommends,  in 
conclusion,  the  introduction  of  blooded  stallions.  This,  too,  has  been 
tried,  without  results.  To  one  familiar  with  the  history  of  the  Sable 
Island  ponies,  this  failure  is  not  surprising,  for  the  newly  introduced 
horses  are  set  loose  and  allowed  to  breed  freely  with  the  wild  ponies. 
No  artificial  selection  is  exercised,  and  as  these  new  horses  and  their 
offspring  exist  under  the  same  living  conditions  that  wrought  the 
horses  from  New  England  into  Sable  Island  ponies,  they,  or  rather 
their  offspring,  become  Sable  Island  ponies,  and  no  "improvement  in 
the  breed"  is  realized. 

EARLY  BOTANICAL  RECORDS. 

The  botanical  history  of  Sable  Island  is  not  very  extensive  but  it 
begins  with  a  record  of  extraordinary  interest. 

Johannes  de  Laet  in  the  third,  which  is  a  Latin  edition  of  his  work 
mentions2  in  his  account  of  Sable  Island,  or  Insula  de  Sable  as  he  calls 
it,  "fruticeta  multa,  paucissimae  arbores,  humus  fere  nuda  aut  lev- 
iter  herbida;."  When  translated  this  is;  "there  are  many  thickets  of 
shrubs,  very  few  trees,  the  soil  is  almost  bare  or  lightly  clothed  with 
vegetation. "  To  the  present  state  of  the  island  these  statements  are 
all  applicable,  the  sand  dunes  are  bare,  or  lightly  clothed  with  vege- 
tation, there  are  thickets  of  shrubs  formed  mostly  of  Rosa  mrqiniana 
Mill.,  but  also  of  Myrica  carolinensis  Mill.,  Ilex  verticillata  (L.)  Gray, 
Viburnum  cassinoides  L.,  and  Rubus  arcuans  Fernald  &  St.  John, 
but  at  present  there  are  no  native  trees  of  any  sort.  This  clause 
which  is  'quoted  and  translated  from  de  Laet  does  not  occur  in  the  first 
and  second  editions  of  his  work,  which  are  in  Dutch.  It  is  added  to 
the  end  of  the  paragraph  devoted  to  Sable  Island  in  the  third  or  Lat- 
in edition,  and  it  appears  with  similar  wording  in  the  fourth  or  French 
edition.  Johannes  de  Laet  was  born  in  Antwerp  in  1585  and  died  in 
Amsterdam  in  1649.  He  had  direct  connections  with  the  new  world, 
being  a  "patroon"  of  Rensselaerswyck  (now  Albany,  N.  Y.)  where 
his  daughter  and  son-in-law  had  settled,  and  he  was  also  a  director  of 
the  Dutch  West  India  Company.  This  official  connection  would 

1Howe,  Joseph:  Append,  to  Journ.  of  House  of.  Assembly  Prov.    N.   S. 
162  (1851). 
2  Laet,  Johannes  de:  Novus  Orbis  seu  Descript.  Indiae  Occ.  ed.  3,  37  (1633). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  33 

give  him  access  to  the  records  of  the  Company  and  it  is  probably  in 
this  way  that  de  Laet  gained  his  information  about  Sable  Island. 

He  relates  the  early  history  of  the  island,  the  attempt  to  found  a 
colony  there  by  Baron  de  Lery,  of  the  stocking  of  the  island  with  cat- 
tle and  pigs,  the  incident  of  Marquis  de  la  Roche  and  the  convicts 
whom  he  abandoned  on  the  island,  describes  the  series  of  deeps  and 
shallows,  that  is  the  bars  which  surround  the  island,  and  the  conse- 
quent difficulty  in  making  a  landing,  and  he  cautions,  "nor  in  my 
opinion  is  it  reasonably  worth  while  (neque  sane,  ut  opinor,  mere- 
tur)."  The  absolute  accuracy  of  these  other  statements  about  Sable 
Island  by  de  Laet  confirms  the  value  of  his  statement  that  at  1633, 
the  time  of  his  writing,  or  a  few  years  before,  there  were  a  very  few 
trees  on  the  island.  The  botanists  of  his  time  were  still  classifying 
plants  on  the  basis  of  their  habit,  whether  herbaceous,  shrubby,  or 
arborescent,  so  there  is  no  reason  for  thinking  that  he  did  not  know 
a  tree  from  a  shrub.  Comparable  regions  on  the  mainland,  such  as 
Cape  Cod  or  Plum  Island,  Massachusetts,  have  even  in  many  ex- 
posed parts,  clumps  of  trees  in  the  hollows  between  the  dunes.  Of 
course,  as  far  back  as  1633,  Sable  Island  was  much  larger  than  it  is 
at  present,  and  its  sand  hills  much  higher,  so  there  would  have  been 
more  sheltered  spots  in  which  trees  could  grow.  Taken  all  in  all,  every 
bit  of  evidence  seems  to  indicate  that  deLaet's  statement  can  be  accept- 
ed at  face  value,  that  in  1633,  or  shortly  before  then,  there  were  a 
few  native  trees  growing  on  Sable  Island. 

From  Gov.  John  Winthrop's  Journal1  we  learn  that,  in  1633,  a  cer- 
tain John  Rose  was  wrecked  in  the  Mary  and  Jane  on  Sable  Island. 
From  the  timbers  of  his  wrecked  vessel  he  managed  to  construct  a 
small  pinnace  in  which  he  made  his  way  to  Acadia.  There  he  was 
detained  a  prisoner  by  the  French,  and  forced  to  pilot  them  back  to 
Sable  Island  in  their  search  for  walrus  and  cattle.  Finally,  being 
set  free,  Rose  returned  to  Boston.  He  reported  great  numbers  of 
cattle  and  foxes  and,  "  There  is  no  wood  upon  it,  but  store  of  wild  peas 
and  flags  by  the  ponds,  and  grass." 

In  1753,  Andrew  Le  Mercier  published2  the  next  notice  of  Sable 
Island  that  contains  any  reference  to  its  natural  history.  "It  pro- 
duces naturally  near  20  sorts  of  Berries,  out  of  which  some  People 
suppose  very  good  Liquors  and  Wines  might  be  expressed — It  looks 

1  Winthrop,  John:  The  History  of  New  England  from  1630  to  1649,  edited 
by  James  Savage,  i.  162  (1825). 

2  Boston  Weekly  News  Letter,  Feb.  8  (1753.) 


34       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

all  green  in  Winter  with  the  Juniper  Bushes  and  red  in  Summer  with 
the  large  Strawberries  and  other  wild  Fruits  which  it  bears. — It  hath 
abundance  of  wild  or  Beach  Pease,  which  fatten  the  Cattle  very  well. 

*  *  *  There  is  neither  Trees  (but  many  Bushes)  nor  Stones. 
— The  Grass  is  tall,  thick  and  hath  a  very  sweet  taste  and  nourish- 
ing Property;  there  is  some  English  Grass,  but  the  other  is  more  pro- 
fitable, and  there  is  enough  to  feed  some  thousand  Heads  of  Cattle. " 

All  of  the  native  plants  mentioned  by  Le  Mercier,  juniper  bushes, 
strawberries  (though  they  hardly  color  the  ground  red),  and  beach 
pease,  grow  there  to-day. 

With  reference  to  the  quotation  from  de  Laet  given  above,  it  will 
be  noticed  that  Le  Mercier  says,  "  There  is  neither  Trees  (but  many 
Bushes)  nor  Stones"  and  that  John  Rose  reported  "no  wood  upon 
it"  in  1633,  so  by  the  year  1753  any  trees  which  had  formerly  existed 
on  Sable  Island  had,  in  all  probability  disappeared. 

Joseph  Frederick  Wallet  Des  Barres  made  a  survey  of  Sable  Island 
in  1766  and  1767  in  compliance  with  orders  from  the  British  Admir- 
alty. In  his  page  and  a  half  of  "  Remarks  on  the  Isle  of  Sable,  "*  we 
find,  "The  whole  island  is  composed  of  fine  white  sand,  much  coarser 
than  any  of  the  soundings  about  it,  and  intermixed  with  small  trans- 
parent stones.  Its  face  is  very  broken,  and  hove  up  in  little  hills, 
knobs  and  cliffs,  wildly  heaped  together,  within  which  are  hollows  and 
ponds  of  fresh  water,  the  skirts  of  which  abound  with  cranberries  the 
whole  year,  and  with  blueberries  &c.  in  their  season,  as  also  with 
ducks,  snipej,  and  other  birds.  This  sandy  island  affords  a  great 
plenty  of  beach  grass,  wild  pease,  and  other  herbages,  for  the  support 
of  the  horses,  cows,  hogs,  &c.  which  are  running  wild  upon  it.  It 
grows  no  trees  but  abundance  of  wreck  and  drift  wood  may  be  picked 
up  along  shore  for  fuel. " 

Seth  Coleman  reported2  to  Lieutenant-Governor  Sir  John  Went- 
worth  on  conditions  at  Sable  Island  as  he  found  them  June  24th, 
1801,  saying,  "The  soil  in  general  is  nearly  the  same  excepting  upon 
the  upland,  which  is  principally  of  a  nature  to  produce  Beach  Grass 
intermixed  with  the  wild  Pea,  and  round  the  Edge  of  the  Pond,  there 
is  a  finer  kind  of  grass,  but  much  of  the  same  quality,  and  I  discover- 
ed some  small  spots  of  English  Grass,  and  on  the  boarders  of  the  Pond 
Vegetables  might  be  raised,  if  enclosed  for  Gardens,  and 

1  Des  Barres,  Joseph  Frederick  Wallet:  The  Isle  of  Sable,  Survey'd  in  1766 
and  1767.     Atlantic  Neptune,  i.  68  (1777). 
2Rept.  on  Canadian  Archives,  91  (1895). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  35 

I  have  no  doubt  but  Indian  Corn  might  be  produced,  but  not  in  large 
quantities. " 

In  1850,  Joseph  Howe  visited  Sable  Island,  and  reported1,  "  I  was 
agreeably  surprised  to  find  it  covered,  for  nearly  its  whole  length  of 
five  and  twenty  miles,  with  natural  grass  and  wild  peas,  and  sustain- 
ing by  its  spontaneous  production,  five  hundred  head  of  wild  horses, 
and  ten  or  twelve  head  of  cattle. 

"  Cranberries  of  large  size,  and  fine  flavour,  grow  in  abundance  on 
Sable  Island.  A  few  barrels  of  these  are  generally  picked  in  the  au- 
tumn, but  the  cranberry,  as  a  source  of  income,  or  a  means  of  em- 
ployment, has  scarcely  ever  been  thought  of  by  our  people." 

An  anonymous  writer2  says, "It  was  in  the  year  1851,  when  employ- 
ed as  one  of  the  assistants  in  the  Admiralty  Survey  of  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  that  orders  were  unexpectedly  received  to  proceed  to  Sable 
Island,  and  report  upon  the  erection  of  a  lighthouse.  *  *  *  The 
amount  and  variety  of  vegetation  on  this  gigantic  sand  bar  is  ex- 
traordinary. Besides  several  kinds  of  grass,  there  are  wild  peas,  and 
other  plants,  affording  subsistence  to  between  400  and  500  wild  horses, 
and  an  innumerable  colony  of  rats  and  rabbits,  as  well  as  the  domes- 
tic cattle  kept  for  the  use  of  the  establishment.  *  *  *  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  chief  residence,  where  white  clover  and  other 
grasses  have  been  sown,  so  luxuriant  is  the  yield  that  over  100  tons 
of  hay  are  made  annually.  There  are  several  edible  berries,  the 
strawberry  in  the  richest  profusion  covering  the  ground  upon  which 
we  rode,  with  none  to  gather  them.  Cranberries  abound/' 

In  1858,  J.  B.  Gilpin  published3  a  charming  little  book  on  Sable 
Island  in  which  he  devotes  one  paragraph  to  its  botanical  features : 

"  A  Botanist  would  give  a  scientific  list  of  thirty  or  forty  varieties 
of  shrubs  and  plants.  Trees  there  are  none,  and  the  usual  shrubs 
are  dwarf t  to  a  few  inches;  a  little  ground  juniper  and  low  with- wood 
would  not  afford  a  riding-cane.  Tall  coarse  grasses  cover  the  sur- 
face of  the  ground,  alternating  with  sandy  barrens  and  snowy  peaks 
of  blown  sand.  The  wild  rose,  blue  lily,  and  wild  pea  enamel  the 
valleys.  Strawberries,  blueberries  and  cranberries  are  in  abundance. 
They  are  measured  by  bucket-fulls;  and  as  Autumn  heats  yellow  the 

1  Howe,  Joseph:  Appendix  to  Journ.  of  House  of  Assembly,  Prov.  of  N.  S. 
no.  24,  161-164(1851). 

2  The  Leisure  Hour,  xxx.  432-433  (1881). 

3  Gilpin,  J.  Bernard:  Sable  Island,  Its  Past  History,  Present  Appearance, 
Natural  History  etc.  18-19  (1858). 


36       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

luxuriant  green,  the  tall,  mallow,  gay  golden  rods  and  wild  China- 
asters  are  swept  by  the  heaving  gales." 

Joseph  Charles  Tache*,  in  18851,  published  a  book  which  in  so  far 
as  it  refers  to  Sable  Island  is  very  little  but  a  free  translation  of  J.  B. 
Gilpin's  "Sable  Island."  In  a  different  form  he  reproduces  Gil- 
pin's  paragraph  on  the  botanical  productions  of  the  island.  For 
some  reason  he  feels  that  Gilpin's  estimate  of  the  size  of  the  flora  was 
not  adequate,  and  he, Tache, says2,  "On  a  dit  qu'un  botaniste  pourrait 
y  observer  trente  a  quarante  espeees  ou  varietes;  mais  il  est  certain 
qu'un  catalogue  complet  des  plantes  de  Pile  et  de  ses  rivages,  qui  com- 
prendrait  les  mousses,  les  algues  et  les  plantes  d'occasion,  aurait  beau- 
coup  plus  d'etendue  que  cela." 

In  1890,  an  anonymous  writer3  makes  the  first  mention  of  the  oc- 
currence of  blackberries  on  the  island:  "On  the  shores  of  the  lake, 
which  extends  for  about  eight  miles,  may  be  gathered  in  their  season 
the  wild  pea,  wild  roses,  lilies,  asters,  strawberries,  blackberries,  and 
cranberries.  From  these  wild  fruits  a  small  revenue  is  derived  by  the 
men  of  the  life-saving  station,  who  gather  and  ship  them  to  Nova 
Scotia." 

The  Rev.  George  Patterson  in  his  article4  devotes  one  sentence  to 
the  flowers  and  fruits.  All  of  the  species  mentioned  occur  in  Gilpin's 
"Sable  Island"  with  almost  the  identical  wording,  and  Patterson  re- 
fers to  him  in  a  footnote  on  the  following  page. 

The  first  naturalist  to  visit  Sable  Island  was  Dr.  Jonathan  Dwight, 
Jr.  From  the  28th  of  May  until  the  14th  of  June,  1894,  he  was  on 
the  island  with  the  special  object  of  ascertaining  the  breeding-home 
and  habits  of  the  Ipswich  Sparrow,  which  were  at  that  time  quite 
unknown.  This  he  accomplished  very  successfully. 

Although  it  was  quite  early  in  the  season,  Dr.  Dwight  gave  con- 
siderable attention  to  the  flora.  "It5  was  impossible  to  study  sat- 
isfactorily the  flora  of  Sable  Island,  for  at  the  time  of  my  visit  few 
of  the  plants  had  more  than  just  opened  their  earliest  buds,  and  of 

1  Tache,  Joseph  Charles:  Les  Sablons  (L'lle  de  Sable)  et  L'lle   Saint-Bar- 
nabe,  1-354  (1885). 
2 1  c.  29. 

3  Anonymous:  The  Graveyard  of  the  Atlantic.      All   the   Year   Round, 
Ixvi.  517-522  (1890). 

4  Patterson,  Rev.  George:   Sable   Island,    Its    History    and    Phenomena. 
Trans.  Roy.  Soc.  Can.  xii.  §  2.  5  (1894). 

6  Dwight,  Jonathan,  Jr.:  The  Ipswich  Sparrow.  Mem.  Nuttall  Ornith. 
Club,  ii.  12-13  (1895). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  37 

the  species  collected,  many  could  not  be  positively  identified  even  by 
so  able  a  botanist  as  Dr.  N.  L.  Britton  of  Columbia  College,  who  was 
kind  enough  to  make  the  attempt  for  me  and  to  furnish  the  scientific 
names.  *  *  *  The  blueberry  bushes  were  blossoming  the  second 
week  in  June,  many  of  the  tiny  sprigs  trailing  in  the  sand,  partly  cov- 
ered by  it,  and  the  leaf  buds  of  the  rose  bushes  were  little  more  than 
half  unfolded."  This  short  quotation  will  give  a  hint  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  vegetation  and  Dr.  Dwight's  interest  in  it.  He  says1 
"my  specimens  show  that  not  less  than  forty  species  occur."  "I* 
make  no  pretense  to  a  complete  enumeration  of  the  plants  of  Sable 
Island,  for  reasons  given,  but  those  that  I  have  mentioned  are  among 
the  most  conspicuous  and  characteristic  of  its  flora,  which  resembles 
in  many  respects  that  of  the  adjacent  mainland. " 

He  mentions  several  species  that  have  been  cultivated,  and  also 
some  that  were  presumably  introduced,  but  to  him  appeared  so  thor- 
oughly naturalized  that  they  were  hard  to  distinguish  from  the  nat- 
ive ones.  To  quote  his  own  words3:  "Timothy  (Phleum  pratense  L.) 
and  Red-top  Grass  (Agrostis  alba  vulgaris  With.),  as  well  as  Red  Clo- 
ver (Trifolium  pratense  L.),  have  been  cultivated  near  the  stations, 
and  White  Clover  (T.  repens  L.)  is  frequently  met  with,  but  man's 
influence  has  been  at  work  on  the  island  for  so  many  centuries  that  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  draw  the  line  between  indigenous  species,  if 
such  there  be,  and  those  artificially  introduced.  *  *  *  Before 
my  departure  nearly  the  whole  surface  had  acquired  a  visibly  greener 
tinge  with  here  and  there  the  ruddy  glow  of  blossoming  Sorrel  (Rumex 
Acetosella  L.)  while  such  weeds  as  the  Beach  Pea  (Lathy rus  maritimus 
(L.)),  Everlasting  (Gnaphalium  sp.?),  and  Meadow-rue  (Thalictrum 
sp.?)  were  becoming  conspicuous." 

It  is  quite  true  as  Dr.  Dwight  says,  that  some  of  the  introduced 
species  have  made  themselves  thoroughly  at  home  on  the  island,  but 
the  writer  in  no  case  had  any  difficulty  in  deciding  whether  or  not  a 
plant  was  a  native.  Trifolium  repens  is  frequent  on  the  island,  par- 
ticularly on  the  dry  sands  near  the  Life  Saving  Stations  and  along  the 
shores  of  the  adjacent  ponds  where  the  cattle  and  the  domesticated 
ponies  browse  continually.  It  does  not  occur  in  the  remoter  parts  of 


1  Dwight,  I.  c.  13. 

2  Dwight,  I  c.  14. 

3  Dwight,  I  c.  12. 


38       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

the  island,  and  does  not  seem  to  the  writer  to  be  a  native  plant.  Ru- 
mex  Acetosella  is  obviously  an  introduced  species. 

Observations  in  18511  confirm  that  the  white  clover  is  an  introduced 
species  here:  "In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  chief  residence,  where  white 
clover  and  other  grasses  have  been  sown,  so  luxuriant  is  the  yield  that 
over  100  tons  of  hay  are  made  annually." 

Why  Dr.  Dwight  called  Lathyrus  maritimus  and  the  Thalictrum 
weeds,  is  not  made  clear,  and  the  writer  cannot  imagine  any  explan- 
ation of  it.  They  are  both  characteristic  of  and  generally  distributed 
on  the  dry  sand  dunes,  which  are  surely  a  habitat  on  which  native 
plants  would  be  expected. 

Dr.  Dwight  mentions  in  his  paper  by  generic  or  specific  names 
twenty-seven  plants.  The  remaining  thirteen  are  presumably  im- 
mature and  at  that  time  almost  indeterminable  specimens.  The 
plants  are  all  in  the  Herbarium  of  the  New  York  Botanical  Garden, 
but  no  list  of  them  was  kept. 

Dwight's  admirable  scholarly  report  contains  as  well  as  his  data 
and  remarks  upon  the  Ipswich  Sparrow,  chapters  on  various  features 
of  Sable  Island:  the  History  of  Sable  Island,  its  Physical  Aspect,  its 
Climate,  its  Flora,  its  resident  Mammals,  and  Birds. 

The  first  botanist  to  visit  Sable  Island  was  the  Botanist  of  the 
Canadian  Geological  Survey,  John  Macoun,  who  landed  on  the  island 
July  20,  1899,  ancl  remained  there  for  five  weeks.  In  his  Report  for 
that  year2  he  gives  a  general  account  of  the  island  and  some  mention 
of  its  flora.  On  the  mooted  question  whether  the  island  was  ever 
wooded  he  brings  some  evidence.  "I  am  inclined3  to  believe  that 
trees  have  never  grown  upon  the  island.  On  one  occasion  I  saw  roots 
protruding  from  under  a  sand-hill  over  thirty  feet  high,  and  on  dig- 
ging them  out  found  that  they  represented  part  of  the  remains  of  a 
specimen  of  Juniperus  Sabina  procumbens  (creeping  juniper).  It  was 
rooted  in  a  layer  of  black  soil  and  when  taken  out  showed  that  it  had 
lain  flat  on  the  ground.  Two  of  the  roots,  including  the  bark,  meas- 
ured 3%  and  3%  inches  in  diameter  respectively,  while  the  crown, 
where  the  branches  began  to  spread  was  over  seventeen  inches  in  cir- 
cumference or  nearly  six  inches  in  diameter.  This  growth  and  others 
observed  under  sand-hills  indicate  long  periods  of  vegetation  without 
encroachment  of  sand,  so  that  when  these  shrubs  lived,  the  lagoon  was 

1  The  Leisure  Hour,  xxx.  432  (1881). 

2  Ann.  Rep.  Can.  Geol.  Surv.  xii.  n.  s.  212-219  A  (1899). 
1  Macoun,  I  c.,  217  A. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  39 

a  quiet  lake  and  the  north  side  of  the  island  was  miles  removed,  as  no 
sand  reached  these  localities  for  many  years. 

"Though  there  are  no  trees  on  the  island  and  shrubs  never  attain 
more  than  a  foot  in  height,  these,  if  sheltered  from  the  sea  air  and 
winter  gales  attain  a  considerable  size.  About  fourteen  years  ago, 
Mr.  Boutellier  planted  a  willow  and  an  elm,  both  of  which  are  now 
about  five  feet  high.  Every  summer  they  make  a  fine  growth,  but 
during  the  winter  are  killed  back  to  the  point  at  which  they  are  pro- 
tected by  an  adjcining  fence.  Even  in  summer,  as  I  learned  from 
my  own  observations,  the  leaves  above  the  shelter  of  the  fence  are 
small  and  badly  formed,  and  after  a  strong  gale  or  heavy  fog  the  ten- 
der ones  become  blackened  or  shrivelled  at  the  edges,  while  those 
that  were  protected  were  very  large  and  well  formed."  The  two 
planted  trees  mentioned  by  John  Macoun,  were  still  living  in  1913, 
that  is  twenty-eight  years  after  their  planting.  They  had  good  stur- 
dy trunks  for  about  two  feet,  then  bushed  out  into  broom-like  heads 
of  innumerable  fine  shoots  that  stretched  up  above  the  protecting 
board  fence.  As  John  Macoun  stated,  each  year  all  of  these  upright 
shoots  are  killed  back  to  the  level  of  the  top  of  the  fence. 

He  makes  the  generalization  that  "all  the  shrubs  are  natives  of 
Newfoundland  and  Nova  Scotia."1  This  seems  to  be  the  case,  with 
the  exception  of  Rubus  arcuans  which  is  not  known  from  Newfound- 
land, and  at  that  time  was  not  known  to  Professor  Macoun. 

PLANT  HABITATS. 

On  an  island  consisting  of  a  20-mile  stretch  of  sand  dunes  there  can 
be  little  diversity  of  plant  habitats.  Nevertheless,  a  variety  of  these 
is  found  on  Sable  Island,  and  they  may  be  distinguished  as  follows: 

SEA  BEACHES. — These  are  of  pure  white  sand.  This  is  true,  ex- 
cept for  one  bit  of  the  South  Beach,  east  of  the  Life  Saving  Station 
No.  3,  where  magnetite,  as  iron  sand,  is  so  abundant  as  to  alter  the  color. 
The  vegetation  of  this  strip,  however,  is  not  perceptibly  different  from 
that  on  other  parts  of  the  beach.  Because  of  the  encroachment  of 
the  waves,  the  beach  is  very  steep,  the  loose  dry  sand  rising  abruptly 
to  the  base  of  a  dune.  At  the  very  top  of  the  beach  in  the  soft,  wind- 
blown sand  are  a  few  clumps  of  Arenaria  peploides  L.,  var.  robusta 
Fernald,  all  of  them  with  their  young  shoots  gone,  eaten  off  by  the 
gangs  of  wild  ponies.  Here  and  there  are  small  single  plants  of  Cakile 
edentula  (Bigel.)  Hook.;  otherwise  the  beach  is  bare  of  vegetation. 

1  Macoun,  L  c.  218  A. 


40       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

SAND  FLATS  and  SAND  SPITS. — Not  long  ago  the  salt  lake,  Wal- 
lace Lake,  was  sheltered  by  rows  of  dunes  on  both  its  north  and  its 
south  shores,  but  now  from  most  of  the  south  side  the  dunes  have  been 
swept  away,  and  between  the  southern  shore  of  Wallace  Lake  and  the 
South  Beach  of  the  Island,  there  is  nothing  but  a  great  sand  flat  over 
which  the  waves  break  during  all  heavy  storms.  Sand  spits  and  dry 
bars  quite  similar  in  character  extend  out  for  some  distance  from 
either  end  of  the  island.  On  all  of  these  the  Arenaria  thrives,  and 
here  also  it  is  despoiled  by  the  ponies,  so  much  so  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  find  fruiting  specimens.  The  bareness  of  these  stretches 
is  also  broken  by  occasional  mats  of  Limosella  subulata  Ives. 

WALLACE  LAKE  and  the  BRACKISH  PONDS. — Wallace  Lake,  though 
often  for  short  periods  shut  off  from  the  sea,  is  quite  as  salt  as  is  the 
sea  itself.  In  the  lake  is  an  abundant  growth  of  Zoster  a  marina  L., 
which  is  not  met  with  elsewhere. 

Especially  at  the  eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake,  near  Life  Saving 
Station  No.  3,  and  near  the  Wireless  Station  are  series  of  ponds  reach- 
ed by  the  salt  water  only  during  the  heaviest  fall  and  winter  storms. 
These  ponds  form  a  perfect  series  from  the  outer  ones  which  are  quite 
brackish  to  the  inner  which  are  fresh.  These  brackish  ponds  have  a 
much  more  abundant  vegetation  than  does  Wallace  Lake.  In  them 
are  great  masses  of  Pond  weeds,  Potamogeton  bupleuroides  Fernald, 
P.  pectinatus  L.,  and  P.  pusillus  L.,  var.  capitatus  Benn.,  as  well  as 
Ruppia  maritima  L.,  var.  longipes  Hagstrom.  Around  the  borders 
of  these  ponds  will  be  found  Carex  Oederi  Retz.,  var.  pumila  (Coss.  & 
Germain)  Fernald,  and  great  clumps  of  Spartina  Michauxiana  Hitchc., 
Aster  novi-belgii  L.,  var.  litoreus  Gray,  and  Scirpus  acutus  Muhl. 

LAKE  BEACH. — As  the  tides  in  Wallace  Lake  are  very  small  or 
none  at  all,  and  as  the  waves  during  storms  cannot  become  large  and 
destructive,  the  Lake  Beach  has  an  abundant  vegetation  on  its  broad 
expanse.  Over  great  stretches  it  is  covered  with  a  smooth  green 
carpet  made  up  of  numerous  species,  among  which  are  Juncus  bu- 
fonius  L.,  var.  halophilus  Buchenau  &  Fernald,  Chenopodium  ru- 
brum  L.,  Spergularia  leiosperma  (Kindb.)  F.  Schmidt,  Ranunculus 
Cymbalaria  Pursh,  Potentilla  pacifica  Howell,  Plantago  major  L.,  var. 
intermedia  (Gilibert)  Dene.,  and  P.  decipiens  Barneoud.  Out  of  the 
sward  formed  by  these  lowly  plants  grow  the  less  numerous  taller  ones, 
such  as  Rumex  maritimus  L.,  var.  fueginus  (Phil.)  Duse"n,  and  Atrip- 
lex  patula  L.,  var.  hastata  (L.)  Gray. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  41 

SAND  DUNES. — If  one  may  be  allowed  to  generalize,  the  whole 
island  is  only  a  series  of  undulating  sand  dunes.  All  of  them  are  in  a 
continuous  state  of  flux,  but  at  any  one  time  they  can  all  be  placed 
into  one  of  several  categories.  A  strong  sea  breeze  blowing  at  low 
tide  will  pick  up  grain  after  grain  of  sand  from  the  dry  upper  half  of 
the  beach,  and  transfer  it  inland.  A  storm  wind,  while  doing  the 
same  thing,  will  often  make  a  breach  in  the  outer  side  of  the  most  ex- 
posed dune,  whirl  away  the  sand  from  the  roots  of  the  protecting 
vegetation,  and  soon  form  a  deep  gully  from  which  the  sand  is  swirl- 
ed inland  without  obstruction.  Coming  from  either  of  these  sources, 
the  sand  is  blown  inland,  then  dumped  in  a  quiet  place.  Whatever 
happens  to  be  beneath,  pond,  cranberry-bog,  or  Life  Saving  Station, 
is  buried  by  the  new  dune.  These  most  recently  formed  dunes  are  to 
be  met  with  all  over  the  island,  and  are,  of  course,  without  vegetation. 
During  the  growing  season  the  plants  near  by  will  tend  to  colonize 
them  and,  unless  the  boisterous  winds  keep  them  in  constant  motion, 
young  plants  will  come  up  on  them  and  tend  to  hold  them  in  place. 
The  first  to  appear  in  such  situations  is  the  Beach  Grass,  Ammophila 
breviligulata  Fernald.  Soon  after,  Lathyrus  maritimus  (L.)  Bigel. 
and  Solidago  sempervirens  L.  appear.  If  other  storms  do  not  inter- 
fere by  shifting  the  dune  to  still  another  place,  these  plants  will  spread, 
and  before  long  the  dune  will  be  fairly  covered  with  vegetation  and 
anchored  by  roots.  Other  species  will  creep  in  and  join  these  three 
dominant  ones,  and  soon  the  dune  has  on  it  many  species  such  as  Des- 
champsia  flexuosa  (L.)  Trin.,  Festuca  rubra  L.,  Smilacina  stellata 
(L.)  Desf.,  Fragaria  mrginiana  Duchesne,  var.  terrae^novae  (Rydb.) 
Fernald  &  Wiegand,  Rosa  mrginiana  Mill.,  Convolvulus  sepium  L., 
and  Anaphalis  margaritacea  (L.)  B.  &  H.,  var.  subalpina  Gray.  On 
the  protected  slopes  of  the  more  permanent  dunes  these  species,  es- 
pecially the  Rose,  the  Beach  Pea,  and  the  Morning  Glory,  form  a 
tangle  that  is  waist-high  and  very  difficult  to  penetrate. 

EMPETRUM  HEATHS. — These  are  in  reality  the  ultimate  stage  in 
the  evolution  of  the  sand  dune.  They  are  found  in  the  middle  of  the 
broadest  part  of  the  island,  the  place  most  protected  from  the  erod- 
ing elements.  The  dunes  themselves  are  low  and  undulating,  and 
covering  them  is  a  low  vegetation,  composed  especially  of  the  trail- 
ing branches  of  Empetrum  nigrum  L.,  Juniperus  communis  L.,  var. 
megistocarpa  Fernald  &  St.  John,  and  Juniperus  horizontalis  Moench. 
Together  they  form  a  green,  springy  carpet  nearly  a  foot  in  thick- 
ness. Mixed  with  the  dominant  species  are  of  course  others,  such 


42       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

as  Ammophila  breviligulata  Fernald,  Lathyrus  maritimus  (L.)  Bigel., 
Solidago  sempervirens  L.,  and  Aster  novi-belgii  L.,  which  are  ubi- 
quitous on  all  the  drier  parts  of  the  island ;  there  are  also  such  species 
as  Coptis  trifolia  (L.)  Salisb.,  Pyrus  arbutifolia  (L.)  L.  f.,  var.  atro- 
purpurea  (Britton)  Robinson,  Vaccinium  pennsyhanicum  Lam.,  Tri- 
entalis  borealis  Raf.,  Mitchella  repens  L.,  Lonicera  caerulea  L.,  var. 
calvescens  Fernald  &  Wiegand,  Linnaea  borealis  L.,  var.  americana 
(Forbes)  Rehder,  and  Viburnum  cassinoides  L.  These  stretches  here 
called  Empetrum  Heaths  are  what  J.  Macoun  in  his  article  called  the 
"  old  land. "  In  this  area  he  found  Polypodium  vulgare  L.,  a  surpris- 
ing plant  to  find  on  a  sand-dune  island.  Yet  we  learn  from  Warming1 
that  in  northern  Europe  it  occurs  on  the  gray  sand  dunes,  and  Fern- 
aid  &  Long  found  it  in  1919  on  sheltered  wooded  slopes  of  sand  hills 
at  Provincetown  on  Cape  Cod. 

DUNE  HOLLOWS — The  shallow  hollows  between  the  dunes  are 
often  dry  and  destitute  of  vegetation,  but  if  the  hollows  are  deep, 
they  approach  the  water  table  which  is  relatively  high. 

This  water  table  has  frequently  been  commented  upon;  for  it  is 
well  known  that  clear  fresh  water  can  be  obtained  by  digging  a  few  inches 
or  feet  in  any  of  the  dune  hollows.  The  level  of  this  water  table  has, 
of  course,  a  relation  to  the  height  of  the  water  in  the  fresh-water 
ponds.  But  through  all  this  is  a  fundamental  factor  which  we  can- 
not yet  explain.  There  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  there  is  any  hard 
or  impervious  stratum  underlying  Sable  Island.  If  such  a  layer  ex- 
isted near  the  surface  it  would  surely  be  known,  and  it  would  have 
to  be  near  the  surface  to  govern  the  relative  position  of  the  water 
table  as  observed.  To  the  best  of  the  writer's  knowledge,  no  deep 
borings  have  ever  been  made  on  the  island.  In  discussing  this  ob- 
scure feature  of  Sable  Island,  Sir  J.  W.  Dawson2  says,  "  Pools  of  fresh 
water,  however,  appear  in  places,  which  would  seem  to  imply  that 
there  is  an  impervious  subsoil.  This  may,  however,  be  caused  by  the 
floating  of  rain  water  on  water-soaked  sand,  an  appearance  which 
may  sometimes  be  observed  on  ordinary  sand  beaches,  where,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  resting  on  the  surface  of  the  sea-water,  these  pools 
or  springs  sometimes  rise  and  fall  with  the  tide.  I  am  not  aware, 
however,  that  this  occurs  at  Sable  Island."  Any  such  tidal  vari- 
ation in  the  level  of  the  fresh-water  ponds  would  be  very  conspicuous, 
but  no  such  feature  has  ever  been  observed  on  the  island.  We  must 


1  Warming  ,  Eugene:  Oecology  of  Plants.     English  ed.  267  (1909). 

2  Dawson,  Sir  John  William:  Acadian  Geology,  ed.  3,  37  (1878). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  43 

leave  this  problem,  then,  having  advanced  no  farther  than  the  stat- 
ing of  the  difficulty.  These  wet  dune  hollows  support  the  most  abun- 
dant vegetation  of  any  part  of  the  island.  The  first  plant  to  appear 
and  the  quickest  to  spread  is  Vaccinium  macrocarpon  Ait.,  and  it 
forms  a  thick  carpet  in  all  of  the  wet  hollows,  though  it  is  sometimes 
obscured  by  taller-growing  plants.  Conspicuous  among  its  compan- 
ions in  such  places  are  Lycopodium  inundatum  L.,  Car  ex  canescens 
L.,  var.  disjuncta  Fernald,  Juncus  balticus  Willd.,  var.  littoralis  En- 
gelm.,  J.  articulatus  L.,  var.  obtusatus  Engelm.,  Sisyrinchium  gram- 
ineum  Curtis,  Calopogon  pulchellus  (Sw.)  R.  Br.,  Hypericum  mrgin- 
icum  L.,  Viola  lanceolata  L.,  Lysimachia  terrestris  (L.)  BSP.,  Lycopus 
uniflorus  Michx.,  var.  ovatus  Fernald  &  St.  John,  and  Agalinis  pau- 
percula  (Gray)  Britton,  var.  neoscotica  (Greene)  Pennell  &  St.  John. 

FRESH- WATER  PONDS. — A  mere  stage  beyond  the  wet  dune  hollows 
are  the  fresh-water  ponds  which  occupy  all  of  the  deepest  dune  hol- 
lows. Some  are  only  seasonal  and  disappear  during  any  dry  spell, 
but  a  considerable  number  are  permanently  maintained  by  the  rain 
water. 

Most  of  these  ponds  have  a  pure  sand  bottom,  but  a  few  of  the  deep- 
er and  more  permanent  have  accumulated  a  layer  of  black  muck  over 
the  bottom.  Around  their  shores  they  have  the  cranberries  and  most 
of  the  other  plants  characteristic  of  the  wet  dune  hollows,  but  they 
have  many  additional  species,  as  Eleocharis  palustris  (L.)  R.  &  S., 
Juncus  bulbosus  L.,  Iris  versicolor  L.,  Rumex  Britannica  L.,  Polygo- 
num  hydropiperoides  Michx.,  var.  psilostachyum  St.  John,  Tillaea 
aquatica  L.,  Potentilla  monspeliensis  L.,  var.  norvegica  (L.)  Rydb.,  P. 
palustris  (L.)  Scop.,  Lathyrus  palustris  L.,  vars.  macranthus  (T.  G. 
White)  Fernald,  and  retusus  Fernald  &  St.  John,  Epilobium  molle 
Torr.,  var.  sabulonense  Fernald,  Centaurium  umbellatum  Gilib.,  Men- 
yanthes  trifoliata  L.,  and  Teucrium  canadense  L.,  var.  littorale  (Bick- 
nell)  Fernald. 

In  one  area,  that  part  of  the  "old  land"  bordering  the  fresh-water 
ponds  near  the  Marconi  Station,  conditions  have  been  stable  enough, 
and  the  vegetation  vigorous  enough,  to  form  a  deposit  of  loamy  soil. 
It  does  not  exceed  a  few  acres  in  extent  and  nowhere  is  it  more  than 
a  foot  and  a  half  in  thickness.  It  lies  directly  on  the  white  sand  that 
forms  the  rest  of  the  island.  The  vegetation  on  this  loamy  area  is 
more  vigorous,  but  not  different  in  character  from  that  around  the 
borders  of  other  fresh-water  ponds.  In  the  shallow  borders  of  the 
ponds  is  another  series  of  species,  not  to  be  found  in  the  wet  dune  hoi- 


44       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

lows.  Among  these  are  Typha  latifolia  L.,  Potamogeton  polygonifo- 
lius  Pourret,  P.  epihydrus  Raf.,  Eriocaulon  septangulare  With.,  Nym- 
phozanthus  mriegatus  (Engelm.)  Fernald,  Myriophyllum  tenellum 
Bigel.,  Hippuris  vulgaris  L.,  and  Lobelia  Dortmanna  L. 

PHYTOGEOGRAPHY . 

In  studying  the  geographic  affinities  of  the  flora  of  Sable  Island, 
it  was  realized  that  this  problem  was  but  a  small  part  of  the  much 
larger  one  of  the  relations  and  sources  of  the  floras  of  Newfoundland, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  and  adjacent  regions.  It  was,  in  fact,  in  the 
hope  of  throwing  some  light  on  this  larger  question  that  the  trip  to 
Sable  Island  was  planned.  And  now,  in  this  discussion  of  the  flora, 
the  general  scheme  used  by  Prof.  M.  L.  Fernald  in  his  analysis  of  the 
geographic  relationships  of  the  flora  of  Newfoundland1,  has  been  fol- 
lowed as  far  as  it  is  applicable  to  this  smaller  flora. 

There  is  an  element  of  definitely  adventive  plants,  51  in  number. 
These  are  in  most  cases  confined  to  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
the  Life  Saving  Stations  or  the  lighthouses,  in  the  cultivated  fields, 
along  the  paths,  or  near  the  stables.  A  few  species  such  as  Anthoxan- 
thum  odoratum  L.,  Rumex  crispus  L.,  Rumex  Acetosella  L.,  Cerastium 
wilgatum  L.,  Trifolium  repens  L.,  and  Cirsium  arvense  (L.)  Scop, 
have  spread  to  the  shores  of  the  fresh-water  ponds  or  to  the  dry  dunes, 
and  made  themselves  very  much  at  home.  In  every  case,  however, 
they  can  be  demonstrated  as  a  foreign  element  in  the  flora.  As  a 
result  of  the  very  extensive  tree  planting  on  the  island  there  are  a 
few  species  or  individual  trees  that  have  survived  and  must  be  con- 
sidered now  as  a  part  of  the  flora.  These  planted  species  total  15  in 
number.  Together  with  the  51  adventives  they  give  us  a  total  of  66 
plants,  which  will  be  excluded  from  the  further  discussion  of  the  phy- 
togeography  of  the  island. 

The  native  flora  consists  of  147  species,  varieties,  and  forms.  They 
fall  into  the  primary  classes: 

Class  I .         Boreal  types. 

Class  II.       Southwestern  types. 

Class  III.  Endemic  plants  or  species  unknown  on  the  American  contin- 
ent. 

Class  I.  Boreal  Types. — This  class  includes  all  of  the  plants  that 
occur  to  the  north  of  Newfoundland  in  Labrador  proper,  south-west- 
ern Greenland,  or  the  Arctic  regions.  A  few  of  the  species  could 

i  Fernald,  M.  L.:  Rhodora,  xiii.  136  (1911). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  45 

be  classed  as  Arctic,  but  the  great  majority  are  Hudsonian  or  Canad- 
ian types,  and  it  does  not,  in  considering  this  region,  seem  worth 
while  to  try  to  distinguish  between  them.  The  boreal  types  total 
45  plants,  =  30  per  cent,  of  the  Sable  Island  flora. 

A  few  examples  will  indicate  the  make-up  of  this  class:  Elymus 
arenarius  L.,  var.  wllosus  E.  Mey.,  Spiranthes  Romanzoffiana  Cham., 
Arenaria  lateriflora  L.,  var.  typica  (Regel)  St.  John,  Drosera  rotundi- 
folia  L.,  Fragaria  virginiana  Duchesne,  var.  terrae^novae  (Rydb.) 
Fernald  &  Wiegand,  Potentilla  palustris  (L.)  Scop.,  var.  parvifolia 
(Raf.)  Fernald  &  Long,  P.  tridentata  Ait.,  Empetrum  nigrum  L.,  Hip- 
puris  vulgaris  L.,  Ligusticum  scothicum  L.,  Coelopleurum  lucidum  (L.) 
Fernald,  Cornus  canadensis  L.,  Menyanthes  trifoliata  L.,  Euphrasia 
purpurea  Reeks,  var.  Randii  (Robinson)  Fernald  &  Wiegand,  Plan- 
tago  decipiens  Barneoud,  Linnaea  borealis  L.,  var.  americana  (Forbes) 
Rehder,  Anaphalis  margaritacea  (L.)  B.  &  H.,  var.  subalpina  Gray, 
and  Senecio  Pseudo-Arnica  Less. 

Class  II.1  Southwestern  Types. — This  class  consists  of  plants  found 
chiefly  in  regions  to  the  southwest  of  Newfoundland.  It  totals  83 
plants  =  55  per  cent,  of  the  flora.  It  falls  into  three  subdivisions. 

Subclass  A.  Canadian  and  Alleghanian  plants  mostly  common  to 
Newfoundland,  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick  and  coastal  New  Eng- 
land, but  unknown  in  eastern  Saguenay  County,  Quebec,  or  Labrador. 
These  total  36  plants  =  24  per  cent,  of  the  flora. 

As  typical  of  this  subclass  may  be  listed:  Polypodium  vulgare  L., 
Osmunda  cinnamomea  L.,  Scirpus  acutus  Muhl.,  Spartina  Michaux- 
iana  Hitchc.,  Habenaria  bracteata  (Willd.)  R.  Br.  (does  not  reach 
Newfoundland),  Rubus  hispidus  Michx.,  Hypericum  mrginicum  L., 
Galium  Claytoni  Michx.,  Mitchella  repens  L.  (does  not  reach  New- 
foundland), and  Viburnum  cassinoides  L. 

Subclass  B.  Species  having  affinities  with  the  Southern  Coastal 
Plain,  usually  belonging  to  genera  or  having  nearly  related  species 

1  Class  II  of  Prof.  Fernald's  discussion  (1.  c.  p.  138),  the  Western  types,  is 
represented  on  Sable  Island  by  only  two  plants,  Polygonum  hydropiperoides 
Michx.,  Var.  psilostachyum  St.  John,  occurring  on  Sable  Island  and  along  the 
Columbia  River  in  Washington,  and  Lycopus  uniflorus  Michx.,  var.  ovatus 
Fernald  &  St.  John,  occurring  on  Sable  Island,  at  Canso,  Nova  Scotia,  and  at 
Sullivan's  Gulch,  Portland,  Oregon.  If  Sable  Island  contained  a  greater  di- 
versity of  soils  it  is  probable  that  more  of  these  western  plants  would  occur 
there.  Many  of  them  are  calcicoles,  so  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  are  not 
to  be  found  on  Sable  Island,  which  presents  nothing  but  sand,  wet  or  dry. 


46       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

characteristic  of  the  southern  Coastal  Plain,  but  themselves  extend- 
ing beyond  its  geological  limits,  following  the  sandy  or  acid-peaty 
soils  northward  and  inland.  These  total  24  species  =16  per  cent,  of 
the  flora. 

To  typify  this  subclass  we  can  cite:  Panicum  huachucae  Ashe, 
Eriocaulon  septangulare  With.,  Juncus  canadensis  J.  Gay,  Sisyrin- 
chium  gramineum  Curtis,  Calopogon  pulchellus  (Sw.)  R.  Br.,  Pyrus 
arbutifolia  (L.)  L.  f.,  var.  atropurpurea  (Britton)  Robinson,  Ilex  verti- 
cillata  (L.)  Gray,  Myriophyllum  tenellum  Bigel.,  Utricularia  cornuta 
Michx.,  Lobelia  Dortmanna  L. 

Subclass  C.  Southern  Coastal  Plain  species  ranging  from  Texas, 
Florida,  the  Carolinas,  or  New  Jersey  northward  along  the  sandy 
coastal  strip,  Long  Island,  Nantucket,  Cape  Cod,  to  Sable  Island,  to 
Newfoundland,  or  Prince  Edward  Island,  uncommon  or  unknown  in- 
land in  continental  eastern  Canada.  These  total  23  plants  =  15 
per  cent,  of  the  flora.  It  is  noteworthy  that  the  endemic  fresh-water 
sponge,  Heteromeyenia  macouni  Mac  Kay,  has  as  its  nearest  relatives 
H.  ryderi,  var.  baleni,  ranging  from  Florida  to  New  Jersey,  and  H. 
ryderi,  var.  walshii  from  Gilder  Pond,  Mount  Washington,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

This  subclass  contains  Ammophila  breviligulata  Fernald,  Agropyron 
repens  (L.)  Beauv.,  var.  pilosum  Scribn.,  Carex  silicea  Olney,  Carex 
hormathodes  Fernald,  Juncus  articulatus  L.,  var.  obtusatus  Engelm., 
Habenaria  lacera  (Michx.)  R.  Br.,  Myrica  carolinensis  Mill.,  Tillaea 
aquatica  L.,  Rosa  virginiana  Mill.,  Viola  primulifolia  L.,  Centuncu- 
lus  minimus  L.,  Teucrium  canadense  L.,  var.  littorale  (Bicknell)  Fer- 
nald, Limosella  subulata  Ives,  and  Plantago  major  L.,  var.  intermedia 
(Gilibert)  Dene. 

Class  III.  Endemic  Plants  or  Species  unknown  on  the  American 
Continent. — This  includes  10  plants  =  7  per  cent,  of  the  flora. 

Subclass  A.  Endemic  Plants. — This  includes  6  plants  =  4  per 
cent,  of  the  flora.  It  is  notable  that  in  no  case  were  the  characters 
of  the  endemic  plants  strong  enough  to  be  considered  specific;  in  every 
case  they  had  to  be  treated  as  of  formal  or  varietal  rank.  The  six 
endemic  plants  are:  Juncus  pelocarpus  Mey.,  var.  sabulonensis  St. 
John,  Calopogon  pulchellus  (Sw.)  R.  Br.,  f.  latifolius  St.  John,  Lathy- 
rus  palustris  L.,  var.  retusus  Fernald  &  St.  John,  Epilobium  molle  Torr., 
var.  sabulonense  Fernald,  Bartonia  iodandra  Robinson,  var.  sabul- 
onensis Fernald,  Hieracium  scabrum  Michx.,  var.  leucocaule  Fernald 
&  St.  John. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  47 

Subclass  B.  Species  characteristic  of  western  Europe,  not  known 
in  Iceland,  Greenland,  or  Labrador,  but  occurring  on  Sable  Island, 
and  usually  on  St.  Pierre,  Miquelon,  and  the  Avalon  Peninsula  of 
Newfoundland.  This  includes  4  plants  =  3  per  cent,  of  the  flora. 
They  are:  Potamogeton  polygonifolius  Pourret,  Juncus  bulbosus  L., 
Polygonum  Rail  Bab.,  and  Centaurium  umbellatum  Gilib. 

The  8  plants  which  are  not  included  in  any  of  these  classes  are  either 
members  of  critical  groups  now  under  revision,  or  recently  described 
species  whose  ranges  are  as  yet  imperfectly  known. 

FORESTRY  EXPERIMENTS. 

Since  1801,  the  government  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  later  that  of  Can- 
ada have  maintained  one  or  more  Life  Saving  Stations  on  Sable  Island. 
The  buildings  of  these  establishments  have  been  constantly  threat- 
ened with  destruction,  either  by  burial  in  the  drifting  sand,  or  by  be- 
ing engulfed  in  the  waves  of  a  severe  storm  that  might  wash  away  the 
very  site  on  which  the  buildings  stand.  Under  these  circumstances 
it  is  not  strange  that  an  attempt  was  made  to  hold  in  place  the  drift- 
ing sand  hills  that  compose  the  island. 

In  1900,  Sir  Louis  Da  vies,  Minister  of  Marine  and  Fisheries,  re- 
quested William  Saunders,  Director  of  the  Dominion  Experimental 
Farms,  "  to  consider  the  subject  of  a  somewhat  extensive  experiment 
in  tree  planting  on  Sable  Island."  That  same  year  Dr.  Saunders1 
in  company  with  Lieut.-Col.  F.  F.  Gourdeau  visited  the  seacoast  of 
Brittany,  "  to  see  the  results  of  the  planting  of  pine  forests  there  on 
the  drifting  sands  on  the  ocean  shores,  to  gain  information  as  to  the 
methods  adopted  in  planting  and  the  varieties  of  trees  which  have 
been  successfully  grown.  *  *  * 

"  On  returning  to  Ottawa  a  list  of  such  sorts  as  were  likely  to  be 
suitable  was  prepared  with  quantities  desired.  The  trees  and  shrubs 
chosen  included  a  large  number  of  those  which  have  succeeded  well 
in  drifting  sands  in  France  to  which  were  added  a  number  of  other 
varieties  which  from  Canadian  experience  were  likely  to  prove  use- 
ful for  that  purpose.  Small  lots  of  many  other  species  were  added  to 
lend  interest  to  the  collection  and  to  test  their  hardiness  and  adapt- 
ability to  the  climate  of  Sable  Island.  This  list  included  in  all 


1  Saunders,  Wm.:  Experiments  in   Tree   Planting  on   Sable   Island,    Do- 
minion Experimental  Farms,  Report,  63-77  (1901). 


48       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

68,755  evergreens  of  25  varieties,  and  12,590  deciduous  sorts  of  79  va- 
rieties,"— as  well  as  50  pounds  of  the  seed  of  the  Maritime  Pine, 
Pinus  maritima.  This  large  shipment  reached  Sable  Island  the  mid- 
dle of  May,  1901,  and  under  the  direction  of  Lieut.-Col.  Gourdeau 
and  Mr.  Saunders,  planting  was  started  at  once.  The  crates  were  un- 
packed and  the  young  trees,  almost  all  of  which  arrived  in  good  con- 
dition, were  placed  in  trenches  in  the  moist  sand  with  their  roots  well 
covered.  The  work  of  planting  the  thousands  of  trees  was  pushed 
forward  vigorously  and  completed  on  the  17th  of  June.  Of  the  trees 
about  300  were  planted  near  the  East  End  Lighthouse,  about  1000 
at  No.  2  Life  Saving  Station,  about  5,000  at  No.  3  L.  S.  S.,  about 
3,000  at  No.  4  L.  S.  S.,  and  the  remainder  at  Gourdeau  Park,  a  section 
near  the  Wireless  Station  formed  of  low  rolling  dunes  covered  with 
a  thick  mat  of  trailing  Juniperus  and  Empetrum.  This  area  is  one 
of  those  called  Empetrum  Heaths,  where  a  thin  layer  of  dark  humus 
has  been  formed  above  the  white  sand. 

An  accurate  statement  of  the  nature  and  conditions  of  the  soil 
and  the  climate  of  Sable  Island  where  these  young  trees  were 
planted  is  given  by  Mr.  Saunders.1 

"I  brought  with  me  a  sample  of  the  almost  pure  sand  forming  the 
soil  on  the  top  of  the  sandy  bluff  on  which  the  first  plantation  was 
made  in  which  the  sand  binding  grass  was  growing,  also  two  samples 
of  the  black  peaty  layer  which  covers  the  sand  to  a  depth  of  3  to  4 
inches  over  a  large  portion  of  the  central  part  of  the  island,  probably 
to  the  extent  of  1,800  to  2,000  acres.  One  of  these  was  taken  from 
the  large  area  chosen  for  the  plantation  to  be  known  as  Gourdeau  Park, 
and  the  other  was  from  similar  soil  some  miles  further  east.  I  also 
brought  a  sample  of  similar  material  picked  up  on  the  beach  on  the 
south  shore  where  it  was  being  washed  by  the  sea.  A  fifth  sample 
consisted  of  a  bunch  of  the  sand-binding  grass  Ammophila  arenaria 
[=  A.  breviligulata  Fernald].  These  were  submitted  to  the  Chemist 
of  the  Experimental  Farms,  Mr.  F.  T.  Shutt,  for  analysis,  who  re- 
ports on  them  as  follows: 

'Analysis  and  Report  on  Samples  From  Sable  Island. 
(By  Frank  T.  Shutt,  Chemist,  Dominion  Experimental  Farms. 

'No.  1.  Sample  of  the  sand  from  field  on  top  of  the  bluff,  northeast  of  the 
look-out,  where  first  forest  clump  was  planted.  It  contains  roots  of  grass 
Ammophila  arenaria  [A.  breviligulata].  Weight  of  sand  2  pounds  13  ounces, 
containing  %  ounces  of  grass  roots. 

1  Saunders,  Wm.,  Z.  c. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  49 

'Analysis  of  this  sand  after  separation  of  the  greater  part  of  the  fibre  showed 
.0018  per  cent  of  nitrogen. 

'Digestion  of  this  sand  with  hydrochloric  acid  (sp.  gr.  1.115)  at  the  temper- 
ature of  boiling  water  for  5  hours,  showed  that  .412  per  cent  had  passed  into 
solution. 

'The  examination  of  this  acid  solution  gave  the  following  data: 

'Oxide  of  iron  and  alumina 328 

'Lime 062 

'Phosphoric  acid 012 

'Potash: — By  the  spectroscope,  traces  of  potash  were  plainly  discernable. 
With  the  usual  reagent  (platinic  chloride)  only  a  very  faint  precipitation  was 
obtained  when  working  on  an  acid  solution  from  10  grams  of  the  sand. 

'No.  2.  Sample  of  peaty  soil  from  surface  underlaid  by  sand  in  central  part 
of  island  1^  miles  east  of  residence  of  Superintendent  where  a  large  block  of 
trees  has  been  planted,  locality  known  as  Gourdeau  Park,  layer  3  to  4  inches 
thick. 

'Analysis  of  (air-dried)  peaty  soil: — 

p.c. 

'Moisture 4. 87 

'Organic  matter 22. 22 

'Mineral  matter  practically  sand 72 . 91 


100 

'Nitrogen  in  organic  matter 878 

'No.  3.  Representative  sample  of  peaty  soil  covering  a  large  area  some  dis- 
tance east  of  where  No.  2  was  taken,  from  3  to  4  inches  deep,  and  underlaid 
by  sand.  Weight  soil,  air-dried,  3  pounds  12^  ounces,  containing  5^  ounces 
fibre. 

'Analysis  of  (air-dried)  peaty  soil: — 

p.  c. 

'Moisture 1.48 

'Organic  matter 8 . 63 

'Mineral  matter  practically  sand 89. 89 


100 

'Nitrogen  in  organic  matter .  271 

'No.  4.     Sample  from  a  large  lump  of  peaty  soil  found  on  the  beach  on  the 
south  shore,  being  washed  by  the  sea.     It  contains  a  considerable  amount  of 
semi-decayed  eel  grass  Zostera  maritima.    Weight  of  soil,  air-dried,  1  pound 
5  ounces,  containing  2%  ounces  fibre,  principally  eel  grass. 
'Analysis  of  (air-dried)  peaty  soil : — 

p.  c. 

'Moisture 3.00 

'Organic  matter 9. 50 

'Mineral  matter  practically  sand 87. 50 

100 


50       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

'Nitrogen  in  organic  matter 267 

'The  above  three  samples  are  similar  in  character,  and  no  doubt  also  as  to 
origin.  They  may  be  considered  as  semi-decayed  vegetable  matter  (largely 
fibrous)  and  sand,  and  practically  the  only  point  of  difference  between  them 
lies  in  the  varying  proportions  of  these  two  constituents.  In  the  air-dried 
condition  the  sand  can  be  very  easily  separated  from  the  organic  matter  by 
shaking  and  sifting,  showing  that  there  is  no  intimate  incorporation  of  these 
constituents  as  in  the  case  of  true  soils. 

'The  plant  food  they  contain  other  than  nitrogen  is  present  in  very  small 
amounts,  and  we  must  suppose  exists  in  such  a  condition  that  it  is  only  slowly 
set  free  for  plant  use. 

'No.  5.  Analysis  of  the  (air-dried)  grass  or  hay  Ammophila  arenaria  [A. 
breviligulata]  from  Sable  Island,  chiefly  barren  stems: 

p.  c. 

'Moisture 12. 42 

'Protein 13.81 

'Fat 81 

'Fibre 41.00 

'Carbo-hydrates 26. 71 

'Ash 5.25 

100 

'In  protein  or  albuminoids  this  grass  makes  a  very  good  showing,  being  quite 
equal  in  respect  to  these  important  nutrients  to  many  of  our  highly  esteemed 
cultivated  grasses. 

'The  percentage  of  fibre  is  above  the  average,  and  this  together  with  the 
somewhat  high  protein,  necessarily  makes  the  carbo-hydrates  (starch,  sugar, 
&c.)  much  lower  than  usual.  This  hay  contains  5.25  per  cent  ash  or  mineral 
matter,  which  on  further  examination  is  found  to  include  1.37  per  cent  of 
sand.  This  sand  had  remained  attached  to  the  grass  in  spite  of  all  care  be- 
ing taken  to  separate  it. 

'The  indications  are  that  though  probably  somewhat  less  digestible  than  the 
best  hays  made  from  grass  cut  before  seeding,  this  Sable  Island  grass  has  a 
distinct  and  even  moderately  high  feeding  value  due  to  its  comparatively 
speaking  large  protein  content.' 

"  The  results  obtained  by  Mr.  Shutt  are  very  interesting  and  valu- 
able. The  ponies,  of  which  there  are  four  bands  numbering  about 
120  in  all  running  wild  on  the  island,  feed  almost  entirely  on  this  grass 
which  looks  tough  and  hard  and  does  not  impress  one  as  likely  to  be 
very  nutritious.  The  ponies,  however,  do  well  on  it,  and  even  the 
domestic  cattle  use  it  considerably,  although  they  are  said  to  pre- 
fer timothy  and  clover.  The  fact  that  this  grass  has  a  decided  nu- 
tritive character  is  now  demonstrated. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  51 

"Arrangements  for  the  use  of  artificial  fertilizers. 

"  Realizing  at  the  outset  that  it  was  probable  that  the  soil  of  some 
of  the  sites  which  might  be  chosen  for  tree  planting  On  the  island 
would  be  deficient  in  the  elements  of  fertility  needed  for  the  healthy 
growth  of  trees,  a  sufficient  quantity  of  artificial  fertilizers  was  taken 
to  Sable  Island  with  the  trees.  These  included  nitrate  of  soda,  mur- 
iate of  potash,  superphosphate  of  lime  with  a  few  barrels  of  quick 
lime.  Instructions  were  left  with  the  Superintendent  as  to  the  use  of 
these  after  the  trees  were  planted,  and  the  proportions  in  which  they 
should  be  mixed.  That  after  mixing  they  should  be  diluted  with  an 
equal  bulk  of  sand  and  scattered  in  small  proportion  over  the  ground 
once  a  month  for  three  months,  leaving  a  small  portion  of  each  plan- 
tation untreated  for  comparison.  This  would  probably  give  the  trees 
at  the  start  sufficient  plant  food  for  healthy  growth. 

"A  natural  source  of  plant  food. 

"There  is  one  source  of  plant  food  on  Sable  Island  which  should 
not  be  overlooked.  Sea  birds  are  most  abundant  there.  After  trav- 
elling over  the  greater  part  of  the  island  and  seeing  the  immense 
number  of  terns  everywhere,  from  a  rough  computation  of  the  num- 
ber per  acre  and  the  acreage  of  the  island  we  estimated  that  these 
birds  alone  did  not  fall  far  short  of  a  million  on  the  island.  They  feed 
on  small  fish,  and  they  are  so  incessantly  active  that  they  consume 
large  quantities  and  their  droppings  are  seen  on  every  hand.  This 
perennial  source  of  fertility  must  have  its  effect.  Like  the  guano  on 
the  sea-girt  islands  in  parts  of  South  America  this  material  is  very 
rich  in  plant  food,  which  is  in  readily  soluble  forms  and  the  quantity 
deposited  every  year  would  probably  be  sufficient  to  supply  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  small  proportion  of  these  elements  needed  for 
healthy  tree  growth.  Traces  only  of  these  useful  elements  are  found 
in  the  clear,  pure  sand  which  covers  so  large  a  part  of  the  surface  of 
the  island,  probably  for  the  reason  that  this  fertilizing  material  if 
not  promptly  taken  up  by  plant  roots  is  so  soluble  that  it  is  soon 
washed  through  the  porous  sand  by  frequent  rains  and  its  accumula- 
tion is  thus  prevented. 

"Conditions  of  climate — strong  winds. 

"The  climate  is  a  very  singular  one,  and  one  of  the  chief  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  rapid  success  in  tree  planting  is  the  force  and  constancy 


52       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 


of  the.  winds,  and  the  frequency  of  the  gales.  From  the  meteorolog- 
ical tables  here  given,  prepared  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Ellis  from  material 
kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  R.  F.  Stupart,  Director  of  the  Meteorological 
Service  of  Canada,  covering  nearly  four  years,  it  appears  that  the 
average  hourly  velocity  of  the  wind  during  the  whole  of  that  period 
has  been  more  than  18  miles,  while  the  gales  have  averaged  over  10 
each  month  when  the  winds  have  ranged  mostly  from  40  to  65  miles 
an  hour.  A  study  of  the  temperatures  will  show  that  there  are  no 
extremes  of  heat  or  cold  on  the  island;  that  the  highest  temperature 
during  the  past  four  years  has  been  78,  and  the  lowest  point  reached 
by  the  thermometer  during  the  same  period  was  5  above  zero. 


Months. 

Maximum. 

Minimum. 

Total  Preci- 
pitation. 

Average 
hourly  veloci- 
ty of  wind. 

Maximum 
velocity. 

Number  of 
gales. 

1 

1 

1898. 
January 

0 

48.5 

0 

6.0 

Inches. 
5.65 

Miles. 
21.5 

48 

Days. 

18 

Days. 
15 

Days. 
2 

February 

43.0 

17.0 

1.54 

18.7 

64 

14 

20 

2 

March 

46.5 

23.5 

3.20 

17.8 

46 

17 

20 

9 

April 

53.0 

27.0 

4.90 

19.8 

38 

18 

16 

10 

May 

60.5 

33.0 

2.90 

15.7 

41 

7 

24 

8 

June  

66.0 

39.0 

3.12 

15.9 

39 

9 

20 

14 

July  
August  
September  
October  

75.0 
77.0 
73.5 
61.5 

45.5 
58.0 
46.0 
39.5 

4.55 
4.44 
5.89 
3.85 

11.8 
12.0 
16.6 
18.6 

25 
27 
42 
36 

1 
2 
9 
13 

17 
18 
19 
20 

10 
17 

7 
6 

November          

63.0 

30.0 

8.68 

19.6 

49 

18 

16 

9 

December 

52.0 

18.0 

6.64 

23.7 

59 

20 

16 

6 

Averages  

59.95 

31.87 

4.61 

17.6 

42.8 

12 

18 

8 

1899. 
January 

48  5 

7  5 

2.17 

24.4 

53 

21 

19 

3 

February 

39  0 

9  0 

2  78 

26.0 

65 

19 

17 

g 

March 

47  5 

17  0 

4  96 

22.6 

46 

20 

22 

13 

April 

48  0 

29  0 

1  65 

19.5 

56 

13 

22 

12 

May 

59  0 

28  0 

2  62 

18.2 

39 

10 

21 

7 

June 

64  5 

41  0 

4  97 

12  8 

27 

3 

16 

11 

July 

71  0 

52  0 

2  30 

14  9 

31 

5 

22 

21 

August 

74  5 

56  0 

3  76 

12  6 

32 

2 

20 

2 

September  

72.0 

48.0 

3.52 

16.0 

40 

7 

20 

8 

October  

69.0 

44.0 

5.71 

16.8 

46 

9 

22 

6 

November  

59.5 

32.0 

2.66 

20.0 

56 

12 

18 

8 

December 

53  0 

24  0 

4  31 

18  8 

49 

18 

17 

6 

Averages  

58.79 

32.29 

3.45 

18.5 

45 

12 

19 

8 

ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND. 


53 


Months. 

Maximum. 

Minimum. 

Total  Preci- 
pitation. 

Average 
hourly  veloci- 
ty of  wind. 

Maximum 
velocity. 

Number  of 
gales. 

1 

1 

1900. 

k 

January                   

o 
52.5 

0 

17.0 

Inches. 
5.76 

Miles. 
23.7 

56 

Days. 
20 

Days. 
14 

Days. 
5 

February                         .  .  . 

52.0 

7.0 

3.59 

26.5 

56 

20 

17 

3 

March 

48.5 

15.5 

6.15 

22.2 

52 

19 

16 

8 

April 

52.5 

32.5 

5.55 

19.4 

46 

16 

14 

6 

May  

57.8 

34.0 

3.04 

16.2 

37 

6 

19 

7 

June  

69.0 

40.0 

2.84 

14.2 

27 

6 

21 

14 

July        

75.0 

49.0 

2.25 

13.4 

32 

3 

23 

18 

August      

73.0 

51.0 

6.16 

13.6 

40 

4 

17 

6 

September          

70.0 

47.0 

5.66 

16.2 

49 

7 

17 

8 

October                

66.0 

37.0 

2.31 

17.4 

51 

11 

21 

5 

November                    .... 

60.5 

27.0 

2.94 

22.7 

46 

24 

11 

8 

December 

49.0 

20.0 

2.94 

21.8 

52 

15 

14 

3 

Averages            

60.48 

31.41 

4.09 

18.9 

45 

12 

17 

7 

1901. 
January  .             

47.0 

5.0 

3.24 

22.7 

58 

14 

19 

9 

February                        .  .  . 

45.5 

19.0 

3.21 

21.9 

45 

9 

12 

4 

March 

47.0 

19.0 

4.04 

20.2 

56 

12 

23 

11 

April 

54.0 

34.0 

2.36 

19.4 

60 

4 

24 

17 

May 

57.0 

34.0 

4  97 

13.3 

34 

1 

18 

10 

June  

63.0 

44.0 

2.38 

14.8 

36 

1 

24 

15 

July  

77.0 

53.0 

2.90 

12.9 

36 

0 

28 

19 

August  
September  
October  

78.0 
76.5 
68.0 

60.0 
48.0 
41.0 

3.36 
1.65 
4.52 

11.3 
17.4 
18.4 

34 
42 

48 

1 
5 
4 

26 
26 
25 

13 

7 
9 

November     

57.5 

30.0 

2.10 

18.2 

62 

7 

23 

o 

December 

Averages  

60.95 

35.18 

3.17 

17.3 

46 

5 

22 

10 

"The  plantations  started  very  well,  all  of  the  young  trees  taking 
root  and  the  seed  of  the  Maritime  Pine  germinated  and  came  up  'as 
thick  as  it  can  stand,  and  *  *  *  very  fine  and  strong'." 

This  brief  statement  of  the  planting  of  the  trees  on  Sable  Island 
should  impress  the  reader  with  the  great  care  with  which  the  plan 
was  devised  and  the  diligence  with  which  the  laborious  planting  was 
executed. 

The  Superintendent  of  Sable  Island,  R.  J.  Bouteillier,  took  a  keen 
interest  in  the  whole  project  and  did  all  that  a  man  could  to  insure 
its  success.  From  his  reports  we  learn  that  the  trees  began  almost 
immediately  to  succumb  to  the  severity  of  the  climate.  In  his  first 


54       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

report  he  had  to  mention  a  discouraging  loss.  "  I  may  say  that  al- 
most everything  planted  seems  to  have  taken  root,  those  you  first 
put  in  are  budding  freely,  although  I  regret  to  say  that  on  Friday  last 
we  had  a  moderate  gale  which  lasted  about  24  hours  when  the  wind 
at  times  exceeded  40  miles  an  hour.  I  find  that  on  the  trees  with  soft 
leaves  which  had  just  opened,  they  were  burned  off  as  if  from  frost. 
The  pines  and  spruces  were  not  affected  as  far  as  could  be  observed." 
In  the  fall  of  1901,  November  5th,  Supt.  Bouteillier  wrote,  "With 
regard  to  the  condition  of  the  trees  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  was 
very  dry,  so  much  so  that  our  vegetables  are  less  than  a  half  crop,  so 
that  you  can  see  it  must  have  been  trying  for  the  trees. 

"Rainfall— 

June,  2.38  inches;  spread  well  over  the  whole  month;  fogs  as  well. 
July,  2.90  inches;  spread  well  over  the  whole  month;  fair;  warmer. 
August  1  to  13,  3.36  inches;  no  fogs;  very  warm. 
September  8  to  30,  1.65  inches;  no  fogs;  very  warm;  dry  gales. 
October  3  to  24,  3.60  inches;  no  fogs;  warm;  some  high  winds. 

"You  will  see  from  this  that  the  trying  time  was  from  August  13 
to  October  3,  with  only  1.65  of  rain,  no  fogs  and  very  warm  weather 
for  Sable  Island.  The  thermometer  averaged  high  all  summer. 

"This  drought  killed  most  of  the  weaklings,  and  the  high  winds 
burned  the  leaves  off  the  deciduous  trees  between  September  21  and 
26,  during  which  time  it  blew  a  continuous  gale  from  S.  W.  around  to 
north.  After  the  gale  subsided,  the  leaves  were  as  though  a  fire  had 
run  close  to  the  trees  and  scorched  them.  It  was  not  cold,  and  we 
have  had  no  frost  yet. 

"Many  of  these  trees  were  very  promising,  and  some  of  them  are 
Ludding  again  since  we  have  had  rains.  *  *  * 

"  Now,  as  I  think  I  have  shown  you  the  worst  side,  I  will  show  the 
other.  All  the  evergreens  looked  dull  during  the  drought,  but  after 
we  had  a  few  rains  they  improved  wonderfully.  All  the  pines,  ex- 
cept the  white  pine  P.  strobus  are  looking  splendidly  and  have  made 
growth.  The  plants  from  the  pine  seed  also  grew  well,  but  lately  I 
noticed  that  many  were  turning  a  bluish  cast.  Some  spruces  sur- 
vive, but  few  look  promising.  Arbor-vitae  suffered  much  from 
drought,  but  there  are  many  promising  specimens  in  various  locali- 
ties. 

''This  general  statement  of  the  conditions  of  the  trees  applies  to 
all  planted  in  the  various  localities,  but  I  think  Gourdeau  Park,  1}^ 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  55 

miles  east  of  main  station,  is  most  promising,  and  next  is  4th  station 
plot.  In  all  plots  planted  the  weeds  and  grass  has  grown  freely,  and 
I  am  satisfied  now  that  this  is  best  for  the  trees;  it  gives  shelter.  If 
the  ground  had  been  kept  clear  the  drifting  sand  would  abrade  the 
bark,  and  it  is  very  noticeable  that  trees  do  best  where  sheltered  by 
grass  or  wild  plants.  In  'Gourdeau  Park'  there  is  shelter  owing  to 
the  conformation  of  the  ground,  and  the  slopes  have  different  expos- 
ures. I  find  where  the  slopes  are  exposed  to  the  south-west  and  west 
winds  (our  prevailing  winds)  the  trees  are  least  promising. " 

In  the  following  year,  Dr.  Saunders  in  an  additional  report1  gave 
the  latest  news  concerning  the  plantation  on  Sable  Island.  The  first 
letter  received  in  1902  was  written  May  26.  In  this  Mr.  Bouteillier 
says,  "I  will  give  you  the  latest  news  of  the  trees.  Our  winter  has 
been  very  mild;  not  much  snow  and  not  much  frost.  When  a  cold 
snap  occurred  it  was  followed  by  enough  mild  weather  to  take  all  the 
frost  cut  of  the  ground.  March  was  very  mild;  April  was  cold  and 
windy,  and  that  has  continued  up  to  a  week  ago.  Many  pines  that 
seemed  to  stand  the  winter  went  red  in  March  and  April,  and  many 
that  turned  color  have  recovered  and  are  putting  out  new  buds. 
Survivors  of  Austrian,  Mountain  and  Maritime  pines  are  the  most 
promising,  and  those  that  are  not  doing  well  are  the  small  specimens ; 
nearly  all  the  larger  ones  planted  are  killed.  A  few  spruces  of  all 
kinds  survive,  but  they  are  not  promising.  Of  the  arbor  vitae  only 
a  few  are  living.  Juniper  of  both  kinds  nearly  all  dead;  perhaps  four 
or  five  survivors. 

"Of  the  Maritime  pines  raised  from  the  seed  you  brought,  these 
were  killed  wherever  they  were  scattered  on  the  bare  ground,  but 
where  they  came  up  among  the  grass  they  are  growing  finely  in  this 
shelter,  and  there  are  thousands  now  green  and  putting  out  new  buds. 
When  sowing  these  I  put  them  in  thick,  and  after  they  came  up  I 
thought  that  in  spots  they  were  too  thick;  but  this  was  their  salvation, 
as  the  winds  subsequently  killed  those  on  the  outside,  while  those  in 
the  middle  of  these  bunches  were  protected  and  have  remained  green. 

"The  deciduous  trees  were  killed  down  from  the  top,  some  to  the 
ground,  others  killed  outright,  but  they  are  no  exceptions,  all  are 
killed  at  least  half  way  down.  Included  in  these  are  Pyrus  pruni- 
folia,  P.  baccata,  Caragana  arborescens  and  Silver  Poplar.  All  these 
deciduous  sorts  put  out  leaves  a  month  ago,  but  lately  we  have  had 

1  Saunders,  Wm.:  Reports  from  Sable  Island  in  1902,  I.  c.  56-58  (1902). 


56       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

very  high  winds  and  all  the  leaves  are  more  or  less  blighted,  and  some 
of  the  gooseberry  and  currant  bushes  are  stripped.  As  I  have  mention- 
ed before  shelter  is  necessary  here  to  success." 

Supt.  Bouteillier  in  the  succeeding  years  continued  to  report  on 
the  condition  of  the  young  trees.  Each  year  his  report  was  more  and 
more  like  a  list  of  casualties  due  to  the  wind  or  the  drought.  In  1910, 
he  made  a  careful  census1  of  the  survivors,  finding  72  live. 

During  my  visit  to  Sable  Island  in  1913,  I  was  naturally  much  in- 
terested in  the  result  of  the  tree  planting,  and  carefully  inspected 
each  of  the  sites.  I  found  77  individuals.  In  all  cases  Supt.  Bou- 
teillier and  I  did  not  identify  the  trees  as  the  same,  but  this  is  easy 
to  understand  as  all  of  them  are  little  dwarfed,  blasted  sprigs  which 
never  flower  or  fruit  and  which  have  very  abnormal  foliage.  In  all 
the  important  details  we  do  agree,  that  out  of  the  original  planting 
in  1901  of  81,345  trees,  as  well  as  50  pounds  of  seed  of  Pinus  maritima 
there  are  now  but  75  or  so  individuals  alive,  none  of  these  exceeding 
the  height  of  the  sheltering  Beach  Grass.  The  attempt  to  forest 
these  sand  dunes  was  an  absolute  failure. 

After  a  review  of  all  the  circumstances  connected  with  this  tree 
planting,  no  error  in  planning,  no  omission,  no  carelessness  or  acci- 
dent in  the  planting  is  apparent.  Large  numbers  of  the  trees  that 
have  successfully  reclaimed  similar  areas  were  used,  as  well  as  a  great 
variety  of  other  possible  trees  and  shrubs.  It  would  seem  that,  al- 
though a  few  trees  probably  did  grow  on  the  island  as  late  as  1633 
the  decreased  size  and  height  of  the  island  since  then  had  so  reduced 
the  amount  of  shelter  from  the  fierce  winds  and  storms  that  at  pres- 
ent no  trees  could  be  made  to  stand  the  extreme  climatic  conditions. 
This  remains,  however,  a  distinct  challenge  to  the  foresters.  It  is 
hoped  that  sometime  they  may  be  able  to  meet  it  successfully. 

CATALOGUE  OF  THE  VASCULAR  PLANTS. 

In  the  following  catalogue  different  fonts  of  type  are  used  to  dis- 
tinguish the  different  elements  of  the  flora. 
Native  plants  are  indicated  by  full-faced  type. 
Adventive  plants  are  indicated  by  large  and  small  capitals. 
Discredited  records  are  enclosed  in  brackets. 


1  Dominion  Experimental  Farms,  Report  of  the  Director,  Results  of  Exper- 
iments in  Tree  Planting  on  Sable  Island,  54-55  (1910). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  57 

POLYPODIACEAE. 

[ASPIDIUM  SPINULOSUM  Sw.,  var.  DILATATUM  (Hoffm.)  Hook.  The 
record  of  this  fern  for  Sable  Island  is  based  on  a  communication  from 
H.  T.  Gussow,  but  he  writes  that  the  plant  was  in  "  too  fragmentary 
a  condition  to  be  placed  in  the  Herbarium."  The  determination  of 
this  plant  cannot  now  be  verified.] 

Polypodium  vulgare  L.    Known  only  from  one  collection,  on  the 
old  land  at  Island  Pond,  very  rare,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,695). 
Spores  mature, — late  July. 

OSMUNDACEAE. 

Osmunda  cinnamomea  L.  Local,  but  abundant  by  the  marshy 
shores  of  the  fresh  ponds  at  the  eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake,  near 
Life  Saving  Station  No.  3.  Collected  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gus- 
sow; H.  St.  John,  no.  1,108  (H). 

LYCOPODIACEAE. 

Lycopodium  inundatum  L.  Somewhat  general  in  the  wet  dune 
hollows.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,109  and 
1,110  (H). 

Spores  mature, — September. 

PINACEAE. 

PINUS  MONTANA  Mill.  Six  trees  planted  near  Life  Saving  Station 
No.  3,  in  a  grassy  dune  hollow  have  survived  from  the  five  thousand 
set  out  in  1901,  but  they  are  not  over  two  feet  in  height,  and  are 
hidden  by  a  luxuriant  growth  of  Ammophila.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,111 

(H). 

P»  SYLVESTRIS  L.  A  few  trees  out  of  the  ten  thousand  planted  in 
1901  near  Life  Saving  Station  No.  4,  are  still  living  but  they  are 
overtopped  by  the  Ammophila.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,112  (H). 

PICEA  CANADENSIS  (Mill.)  B.  S.  P.  One  tree  surviving  at  Life 
Saving  Station,  No.  4,  from  the  planting  in  1901  of  2,500  young  trees. 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,113  (H). 

[JUNIPERUS  COMMUNIS  recorded  by  J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  216A)  is 
probably  of  the  var.  megistocarpa.] 


58       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Juniperus  communis  L.,  var.  megistocarpa  Fernald  &  St. 
John,  n.  var.,  J.  communem,  var.  montanam  ramis  prostratis  foliis 
latis  brevibus  incurvantibus  similans  sed  differt  fructubus  major- 
ibus,  9-13  mm.  diametro;  seminibus  majoribus,  5-7  mm.  longis. 

Resembling  J.  communis  L.,  var.  montana  Ait.  in  its  prostrate 
branches  and  short  broad  incurved  leaves,  but  differing  from  it  by 
its  larger  fruit,  9-13  mm.  in  diameter,  and  by  its  larger  seeds,  5-7  mm. 
long. 

NEWFOUNDLAND:  serpentine  and  magnesian  limestone  barrens, 
northeastern  base  and  slopes  of  Blomidon  ("Blow-me-down") 
Mountains,  Bay  of  Islands,  August  21,  1910,  M.  L.  Fernald  and  K. 
M.  Wiegand,  no.  2,422  (H). 

QUEBEC,  MAGDALEN  ISLANDS:  sand  ridges  back  of  the  Narrows, 
Alright  Island,  August  21,  1912,  M.  L.  Fernald,  Bayard  Long,  and 
Harold  St.  John,  no.  6,729  (TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.);  sand  hills  between 
East  Cape  and  East  Point,  Coffin  Island,  M.  L.  Fernald,  Bayard 
Long,  and  Harold  St.  John,  no.  6,728  (H) ;  sand  dunes,  Brion  Island, 
Aug.  6,  1914,  Harold  St.  John,  no.  2,040  (H). 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  Empetrum  heaths  near  Gourdeau  park,  Sable 
Island,  Aug.  23,  1913,  Harold  St.  John,  no.  1,114  (H);  sprawling  on 
sand  dunes,  Empetrum  heaths,  Whalepost,  Sable  Island,  Aug.  30, 
1913,  Harold  St.  John,  no.  1,115  (H). 

Common  on  Sable  Island  on  the  dry  slopes  of  the  fixed  dunes. 
This  variety  is  probably  the  only  one  on  the  Island.  In  1753  Andrew 
Le  Mercier  (L)  described  the  Island  as  looking  "all  green  in  winter 
with  the  Juniper  bushes." 

In  1766  and  1767,  J.  F.  W.  Des  Banes  observed  "juniper  &c.,  in 
their  season"  (Atlantic  Neptune,  i.  68,  1777). 

"A  little  ground  juniper,"  is  referred  to  by  J.  B.  Gilpin  (G.  p.  18); 
"On  y  trouve,  en  fait  de  fruits,  les  baies  du  ge*nevrier  rampant" 
(T.  p.  29). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

[J.  COMMUNIS  L.,  var.  DEPRESSA  Pursh.  Collected  by  J.  Macoun 
and  H.  T.  Giissow,  and  probably  to  be  referred  to  the  preceding 
variety.] 

[J.  NANA  Willd.  The  plant  mentioned  by  Jonathan  Dwight,  Jr., 
(D.  pp.  9  and  12)  is  probably  J.  communis,  var.  megistocarpa.] 

J.  horizontalis  Moench.  Dry  sheltered  slopes  of  the  more  perma- 
nent dunes.  J.  Macoun  writes  (M.  p.  217A),  "On  one  occasion  I  saw 
roots  protruding  from  under  a  sand-hill  over  thirty  feet  high,  and 
on  digging  them  out  found  that  they  represented  part  of  the  remains 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  59 

of  a  specimen  of  Juniperus  Sabina  procumbens  (creeping  juniper). 
It  was  rooted  in  a  layer  of  black  soil  and  when  taken  out  showed 
that  it  had  lain  flat  on  the  ground.  Two  of  the  roots,  including  the 
bark,  measured  3*^6  and  3%  inches  in  diameter  respectively,  while 
the  crown,  where  the  branches  began  to  spread  was  over  seventeen 
inches  in  circumference  or  nearly  six  inches  in  diameter."  Quite 
common  on  the  old  land,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,607);  trailing  on  the 
sand  dunes,  Whalepost,  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,116  and  1,117  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 

[J.  PROCUMBENS  recorded  by  J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  218A)  is  probably 
J.  horizontalis.] 

[J.  SABINA  PROCUMBENS  recorded  by  J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  21 7A)  is 
J.  horizontalis.] 

TYPHACEAE. 

Typha  latif olia  L.  Local,  growing  only  by  the  border  of  the  fresh 
ponds  at  the  east  end  of  Wallace  Lake,  J.  Macoun;  and  swampy 
edge  of  fresh-water  pond  near  Life  Saving  Station  No.  3,  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,118  (H). 

Fr. — September. 

SPARGANIACEAE. 

Sparganium  angustifolium  Michx.  Common  in  the  perma- 
nent fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  nos.  22,637  and  22,637a); 
H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,119  and  1,120  (H). 

FL — July  and  August.     Fr. — August  and  September. 

[S.  SIMPLEX  Huds.  of  J.  Macoun  is  S.  angustifolium.] 
POTAMOGETONACEAE. 

Potamogeton  polygonifolius  Pourret.  Abundant  in  the  fresh- 
water ponds.  It  will  grow  even  in  ponds  that  dry  up  for  a  part  of 
the  summer,  but  it  probably  does  not  fruit  in  these  except  in  a  wet 
season.  In  such  exsiccated  ponds  the  plant  appears  as  a  tight  pros- 
trate rosette  of  apparently  sessile  leaves.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,095) 
— for  the  first  notice  of  this,  see  A.  Bennett,  Journal  of  Botany,  xxx. 
198  (1901).  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,121  and  1,122  (H). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

P.  epihydrus  Raf.  Very  common  in  the  fresh  ponds.  J.  Ma- 
coun (C.  no.  22,073);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,123  (H). 

FL — July  and  August.     Fr. — August  and  September. 


60       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

P.  bupleuroides  Fernald.     Common  in  brackish  ponds.    J.  Ma- 
coun  (C.  no.  22,081);  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,124  (H). 
Fr. — August  and  September. 

[P.  PERFOLIATUS  L.  The  specimens  from  Sable  Island  interpreted 
as  this  prove  to  be  the  American  P.  bupleuroides.] 

[P.  FRIESII  Rupr.  J.  Macoun's  collection  (C.  no.  22,097)  proves 
to  be  P.  pusillus,  var.  capitatus.] 

P.  pusillus  L.,  var.  capitatus  Benn.  Abundant  in  the  brackish 
ponds.  The  type  collection  was  made  in  pools,  July  27,  1899,  J. 
Macoun  (C.  no.  22,096  and  22,097);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,125  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — July  and  August. 

[P.  STURROCKII  Benn.  In  Fryer's  Potamogetons  of  the  British 
Isles,  85  (1915)  Arthur  Bennett  records  this  plant  from  Sable  Island.] 

P.  pectinatus  L.     Common  in  the  brackish  pools.     J.  Macoun 
(C.  nos.  22,071  and  22,072);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,126  (H). 
FL,  Fr.— August. 

[P.  PECTINATUS  L.,  f.  PSEUDOMARINUS  Benn.  In  the  Journal  of 
Botany,  xxxix.  199  (1901)  Bennett  makes  the  combination  and 
credits  the  plant  to  Sable  Island.] 

[P.  FILIFORMIS  Pers.  The  collection  by  J.  Macoun  called  this,  is 
P.  pectinatus.] 

[RUPPIA  MARITIMA  L.  J.  Macoun's  collection  so  named  proves 
to  be  var.  longipes.] 

Ruppia  maritima  L.,  var.  longipes  Hagstrom.  Abundant  in 
Wallace  Lake  and  the  brackish  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,635) ; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,127  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

Zostera  marina  L.  Common  in  Wallace  Lake  and  washed  up 
on  the  sea  beaches.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  (D.  pp.  13  &  40)  mentions 
that  it  "abounds  in  the  lagoon,  and  occurs  as  drift  along  its  shores" 
and  that  the  nest  of  the  Ipswich  Sparrow  may  be  partly  made  of 
"eel-grass. "  Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,128  (H). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  61 

GRAMINEAE. 

Panicum  huachucae  Asbe.  Occasional  in  the  drier  spots. 
J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,708),  labeled  P.  implicatum;  H.  St.  John,  nos. 
1,129  and  1,130  (H). 

Fr. — July  and  August. 

[PANICUM  IMPLICATUM  Scribn.  J.  Macoun 's  collection  was  so 
labeled  by  Hitchcock  and  Chase,  but  the  size  of  the  spikelets  and  the 
character  of  the  pubescence  indicate  that  this  plant  should  rather 
be  treated  as  P.  huachucae.] 

ECHINOCHLOA  CRUSGALLi  (L.)  Beauv.     A  garden  weed  at  the  Main 
Life  Saving  Station.     H.  St.  John,  no.  1,131  (H). 
Fr. — September. 

ANTHOXANTHUM  ODORATUM  L.  Established  on  the  drier,  more 
stable  parts  of  the  island.  J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  218A)  comments  on 
the  abundance  of  this  species  on  the  old  land  and  argues  that  it 
appears  native  there,  or  at  least  is  "  a  resident  of  such  long  standing 
that  it  has  made  itself  at  home  in  all  suitable  places. "  H .  St.  John, 
no.  1,132  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

PHLEUM  PRATENSE  L.  Planted  and  well  established  near  the 
Life  Saving  Stations.  Observed  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  12); 
collected  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,133  (H). 

Fl.,  Fr.— August. 

AGROSTIS  ALBA  L.,  var.  VULGARIS  (With.)  Thurb.  Cultivated 
near  the  stations,  according  to  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  12). 

A.  alba  L.,  var.  maritima  (Lam.)  G.  F.  W.  Mey.  Abundant  in 
the  dune  hollows  and  at  the  margins  of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  Col- 
lected by  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,134  and 
1,135  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

A. — [A  collection  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  73,060)  obviously  belongs 
to  the  alba  series,  but  I  have  been  unable  to  place  it  to  my 
satisfaction. 

[A.  HIEMALIS  (Walt.)  B.  S.  P.  Both  Macoun  and  Gussow  list 
this  species,  but  the  plants  are  probably  to  be  interpreted  as  of  the 
var.  geminata.] 


62       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

A.  hiemalis  (Walt.)  B.  S.  P.,  var.  geminata  (Trin.)  Hitchc. 
A  common  plant,  sprawling  on  the  sand  in  the  wet  or  the  dry  dune 
hollows.  A.  S.  Hitchcock  in  his  monograph  of  the  North  American 
Species  of  Agrostis,  Bull.  Bur.  Plant  Industry,  Ixviii.  43  (1905), 
cites  one  sheet  with  awnless  spikelets,  but  this  phase  is  apparently 
common.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,136  and  1,365  (H). 

FL,  Fr—  August. 

Ammophila  breviligulata  Fernald.  (A.  arenaria  of  Am.  authors, 
not  Link.)  Abundant  on  all  the  drier  parts  of  the  island.  Without 
doubt  this  is  .the  most  important  plant  on  the  island,  for  without  it 
nothing  would  stay  the  erosive  action  of  the  wind,  the  storms,  and 
the  sea,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  whole  island  would  be  reduced 
to  a  treacherous  submerged  bar,  such  as  now  extend  out  from  either 
end  of  the  island  for  more  than  fifteen  miles.  The  Beach  Grass  does 
what  none  of  the  hundred  odd  species  planted  for  this  purpose  suc- 
ceeded in  doing,  for  in  most  parts  of  the  island  it  actually  does  anchor 
the  sand  and  prevent  the  dunes  from  being  dissipated  by  the  winds. 
Even  the  earlier  explorers  such  as  Des  Barres,  mention  "a  great 
plenty  of  beach  grass"  (Atlantic  Neptune,  i.  68,  1777);  in  1801, 
Seth  Coleman  found  the  soil  of  Sable  Island,  "  of  a  nature  to  produce 
Beach  Grass "  (Rept.  on  Canadian  Archives,  91,  1895).  John  Ma- 
coun  (M.  p.  215A):  "All  the  sandhills  are  covered  with  sandgrass 
(Ammophila)  and  the  wonderful  vigour  of  this  grass  is  well  shown 
everywhere,  but  more  particularly  where  the  sand  has  just  been 
deposited,  or  is  in  a  raw  state.  I  found  one  underground  stem  or 
stolon  over  twelve  feet  long  which  had  sixty-four  series  of  roots  and 
no  less  than  forty-seven  tufts  of  leaves.  The  growing  point  was  so 
hard  and  sharp  that  it  might  almost  penetrate  wood." 

Another  equally  important  use  of  the  Beach  Grass  is  that  of  pro- 
viding the  fodder  that  supports  the  gangs  of  wild  and  semi-domesti- 
cated ponies,  as  well  as  the  cattle.  To  one  familiar  with  it  in  other 
places  the  Beach  Grass  would  seem  like  very  poor  fodder.  On  the 
sheltered  slopes  of  many  of  the  dunes,  it  grows  here  shoulder  high, 
deep  green,  and  juicy  and  succulent,  so  much  so  that  I  used  to  pull 
young  shoots  and  chew  them  as  I  plodded  over  the  soft  sand  and 
forced  my  way  through  the  tangle  of  Beach  Pea.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  two  factors  might  jointly  or  singly  explain  the  unusually  tender 
and  succulent  condition  of  the  Beach  Grass  here:  the  cool,  very  moist 
climate;  the  regular  cutting  and  harvesting  of  it  as  a  hay  crop  over 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  63 

large  areas.     During  my  stay  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station  owr 
sixty  tons  of  this  crop  were  stored  away  within  the  huge  barns.     Such 
a  conspicuous  plant  was  naturally  observed  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.;  J. 
Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,137  (H). 
Fl. — Late  August  and  September. 

[A.  ARENARIA  (L.)  Link.  All  records  belong  to  the  American  A. 
breiiligulata.] 

Deschampsia  flexuosa  (L.)  Trin.    On  the  drier  parts  of  the 
island.     J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,138  (H). 
Fr—  July. 

[D.  ALBA  R.  &  S.     Gussow' s  specimen  so  named  is  D.  flexuosa.] 

AVENA  SATIVA  L.  A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station. 
//.  St.  John,  no.  1,139  (H). 

A.  SATIVA  L.,  var.  ORIENTALIS  (Schreb.)  Richter.  A  weed  at  the 
Main  Life  Saving  Station.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,140  (H). 

Danthonia  spicata  (L.)  Beauv.      On  the  old  land,  not  rare. 
Found  only  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,688). 
Fr. — July. 

Spartina  Michauxiana  Hitchc.  Occasional  at  the  borders  of  the 
brackish  ponds.  Found  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John, 
nos.  1,141  and  1,142  (H). 

Fl. — August. 

POA  ANNUA  L.     A  weed  near  the  stations.     Collected  by  J.  Macoun 
(C.  no.  22,682). 
FL— July. 

P.  PALUSTRIS  L.     (P.  triflora  Gilib.)     Planted  in  a  field  near  the 
Main  Life  Saving  Station.     J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,681). 
FL— July. 

P.  pratensis  L.  Generally  distributed  and  frequent  on  the  dry 
dunes.  In  1753,  Andrew  Le  Mercier  (L)  remarked,  "there  is  some 
English  Grass";  and  in  1801,  Seth  Coleman  found  "some  small  spots 
of  English  Grass"  (Rept.  on  Canadian  Archives,  91,  1895). 

Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,143  (H). 

Fr. — August. 


64       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Glyceria  Fernaldii  (Hitchc.)  St.  John.     (G.  pallida,  var.  Fernaldii 
Hitchc.)     In  marshy  spots,  East  End,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,684). 
Fr. — Early  August. 

Festuca  rubra  L.  Common  on  the  drier  parts  of  the  island. 
Collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,686);  H.  T.  Gilssow;  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,144  (H). 

FL— July.     Fr.— August. 

F.  rubra  L.,  var.  glaucescens  (Hegetschw.  &  Heer)  Richter. 
Common  on  the  nearly  bare  dunes  where  the  coarse  glaucous  leaves 
form  great  tufts.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,145,  1,146,  and  1,147  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

BROMUS  SECALINUS  L.     A  fugitive  weed.     In  meadow  grass,  rare. 
J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,671). 
Fr. — July. 

AGROPYRON  REPENS  L.     Established  near  the  Life  Saving  Stations. 
Recorded  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,148  (H). 
Fr. — August. 

A.  repens  L.,  var.  pilosum  Scribn.  On  sand  dunes  remote  from 
the  Life  Saving  Stations  and  apparently  native.  H.  St.  John,  no. 
1,149  (H). 

FL— August. 

HORDEUM  JUBATUM  L.     A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station. 
Reported  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,150  (H). 
Fr. — August  and  September. 

Elymus  arenarius  L.,  var.  villosus  E.  Mey.  (E.  arenarius  of 
Am.  authors;  E.  mollis  Trin.)  Very  rare  on  the  island,  occurring, 
as  far  as  known,  only  along  the  top  of  a  narrow  ridge  of  dunes  extend- 
ing a  short  distance  from  the  eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake  along  the 
South  Beach.  This  line  of  dunes  has  been  rapidly  washing  away  and 
the  remnants  are  still  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  storms.  This 
grass  luxuriates  here,  sending  its  culms  up  to  a  height  of  six  feet  or 
more,  but  the  station  is  in  great  danger  of  being  destroyed.  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,151  (H). 

Fr. — September. 

CYPERACEAE. 

Eleocharis  palustris  (L.)  R.  &  S.  Abundantly  fringing  the 
borders  of  the  permanent  and  semi-permanent  fresh-water  ponds. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  65 

J.  Macoun  (C.  nos.  77,185,  77,186,  77,163,  22,648);  H.    T.    Gussow; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,152  (H). 
Fl. — August. 

E.  palustris  (L.)  R.  &  S.,  var.  glaucescens  (Willd.)  Gray.  Even 
more  common  than  the  preceding,  but  found  sprawling  on  the  drier 
sand  flats  or  in  nearly  bare  dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun  (C.  nos.  22,640, 
22,647,  and  77,187);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,153,  1,154,  and  1,155  (H). 

Fl. — August.     Fr. — August  and  September. 

Scirpus  nanus  Spreng.  Found  only  by  the  brackish  margins  of 
Wallace  Lake.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,649);  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  Si. 
John,  no.  1,156  (H). 

Fl.,  Fr.— September. 

S.  americanus  Pers.     Common  in  the  dune  hollows.     J.  Macoun 
(C.  no.  22,632);  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,157  (H). 
FL — August. 

S.  acutus  Muhl.  (S.  occidentalis  (Wats.)  Chase.)  Brackish  and 
nearly  fresh  ponds  near  Wallace  Lake.  Some  of  the  specimens  have 
been  named  S.  validus  but  none  seems  to  belong  in  that  species.  J. 
Macoun  (C.  no.  22,633)  is  very  young  material.  H.  T.  Gussow's 
collection  has  well  developed  achenes  only  2  mm.  long,  but  the  spike- 
lets  are  borne  for  the  most  part  in  glomerules,  so  the  plant  is  treated 
as  of  this  species.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,158  and  1,159  (H)  do  not  have 
long  spikelets,  but  the  achenes  are  large,  2.5  mm.  long,  and  the 
scales  are  long  and  overlapping.  These  specimens  with  a  mingling 
of  characters  of  S.  validus  and  of  S.  acutus  raise  the  question  as  to 
the  distinctness  of  these  two  species. 

Fr. — September. 

[S.  OCCIDENTALIS  (WTats.)  Chase  is  S.  acutus.] 

[S.  VALIDUS  Vahl.  The  specimens  from  Sable  Island  that  have 
been  called  this  seem  better  treated  as  S.  acutus.] 

S.  campestris  Britton,  var.  paludosus  (A.  Nelson)  Fernald. 
Brackish  ponds  near  Wallace  Lake.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,634); 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,160  (H). 

Fr. — September 

Carex  hormathodes  Fernald.     Wet  margins  of  the  fresh  ponds, 
common.     J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,161,  1,162,  and  1,163  (H). 
Fr. — August  and  September. 


66       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

[C.  STRAMINEA  Willd.  The  specimen  so  labeled  by  J.  Macoun  is 
C.  hormathodes.] 

C.  silicea  Olney.     Uniformly  distributed  on  the  dunes  and  drier 
sand  flats.     J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,164  (H). 
Fl,  Fr.—  August. 

C.  echinata  Murr.  (C.  stellulata  Good.)  Borders  of  ponds 
and  wet  dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  23,037);  H.  St.  John,  no. 
1,165  (H). 

Fr. — July  and  August. 

C.   echinata  Murr.,  var.   cephalantha  Bailey.    Found  at  the 
East  End,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  77,162  and  22,065). 
Fr.— July. 

C.  canescens  L.,  var.  disjuncta  Fernald.  Common  along  the 
pond  margins  and  in  the  wet  dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun  (C.  nos. 
23,070  and  23,071);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,166  (H). 

Fr. — July  to  September. 

C.  deflexa  Horriem.    Found  only  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  23,089). 
Fr.— July. 

C.  Oederi  Retz.,  var.  pumila  (Coss.  &  Germain)  Fernald.  Wet 
usually  turfy  borders  of  brackish  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  23,088) ; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,167  (H). 

Fr. — July  and  August. 

ERIOCAULACEAE. 

Eriocaulon  septangulare  With.  (E.  articulatum  (Huds.)  Mor- 
ong.)  Very  abundant  at  the  wet  margins  of  the  fresh-water  ponds. 
J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,168  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

JUNCACEAE. 

Juncus  bufonius  L.     Wet  sand  near  Wallace  Lake.     Collected 
by  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,169  (H). 
FL,  Fr.— August. 

J.  bufonius  L.,  var.  halophilus  Buchenau  &  Fernald.     Brackish 
beach  of  Wallace  Lake,  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,170  (H). 
FL,  Fr.— August. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  67 

J.  tenuis  Willd.  Common  on  the  sand  dunes.  Collected  by 
J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,171  and  1,172  (H). 

FL,  £r. — August  and  September. 

[J.  BALTIC  recorded  by  J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  218A)  is  J.  balticus,  var. 
littoralis.] 

J.  balticus  Willd.,  var.  littoralis  Engelm.  Very  common  in  the 
wet  or  dry  dune  hollows.  Collected  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  12); 
J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,173  (H). 

FL,  Fr.—  August. 

J.  canadensis  J.  Gay.     Common  in  the  dune  hollows.     J.  Ma- 
coun; H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,174  and  1,175  (H). 
FL — August.     Fr. — August  and  September. 

J.  pelocarpus  Mey.,  var.  sabulonensis,  n.  var.,  pros tratus  omni- 
bus partibus  forma  typica  multo  minor;  foliis  teretibus,  septis  vix 
visibilibus;  floribus  in  cymam  contractam  aggregatis;  capsulo  2.5- 
3.5  mm.  longo,  1-1.5  mm.  diametro  igitur  crassitudine  dimidium 
longitudinis  subaequante. 

Prostrate,  very  much  reduced  in  all  parts:  the  septa  scarcely 
showing  on  the  terete  leaf  blades:  flowers  more  nearly  approximate 
in  the  reduced  cyme:  capsule  2.5-3.5  mm.  long,  1-1.5  mm.  wide, 
averaging  nearly  one  half  as  wide  as  long,  while  in  J.  pelocarpus  the 
capsules  are  3-4  mm.  long,  and  1-1.5  mm.  wide>  averaging  one  third 
as  wide  as  long.  The  bulbiferous  form  is  not  known  to  occur  in  the 
var.  sabulonensis. 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  shallow  ponds,  Sable  Island,  Aug.  16,  1899,  J.  Ma- 
coun (C.  no.  22,631);  sprawling  in  wet  dune  hollow,  Sable  Island, 
Aug.  30,  1913,  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,176  (TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.). 

J.  bulbosus  L.  Common  along  the  marshy  borders  of  fresh- 
water ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,623)  see  J.  M.  Macoun,  Ottawa 
Nat.  xv.  (Contributions  to  Canadian  Bot.  xiv.)  79  (1901);  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,177  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 

[J.  ARTICULATUS  L.  of  J.  Macoun  is  J.  pelocarpus,  var.  sabulonensis .] 

J.  articulatus  L.,  var.  obtusatus  Engelm.  Very  common,  in 
the  wet  dune  hollows.  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,178, 
1,179,  and  1,180  (H). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

Luzula  campestris  (L.)  DC.,  var.  acadiensis  Fernald.  See 
Rhodora,  xix.  38  (1917).  Common  on  the  dry  dunes  that  are  fixed 


68       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

by  semi-abundant  vegetation.     H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,181  and  1,182 
(H).     All  records  for  the  var.  multiflora  should  probably  go    here. 
Fr. — August.  9 

[JUNCOIDES  CAMPESTRE  (L.)  recorded  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  (D.  p.  12) 
is  treated  as  Luzula  campestris,  var.  acadiensis.] 

LILIACEAE. 

Smilacina  stellata  (L.)  Desf.  Found  throughout,  on  the  drier 
dunes  that  are  anchored  by  a  covering  of  larger  vegetation.  J. 
Dwight,  Jr.;  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,183  (H). 

Fr. — August,  uncommon. 

IRIDACEAE. 

Iris  versicolor  L.  Common  by  the  wet  pond  margins.  John 
Rose,  in  1633,  saw  "flags  by  the  ponds"  (Winthrop,  John:  Hist,  of 
N.  E.,  ed.  James  Savage,  i.  162  (1825)).  J.  B.  Gilpin  records 
(G.  p.  18),  "The  wild  rose, blue  lily  and  wild  pea  enamel  the  valleys." 
It  has  seemed  evident  to  me  that  Gilpin's  "blue  lily"  must  be  Iris 
versicolor.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  14)  refers  to  the  "blue  lilies," 
"that  are  said  to  bloom  later  in  the  season,  I  failed  to  obtain  any 
specimens."  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,184 
and  1,185  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 

Sisyrinchium  gramineum  Curtis.  Abundant  in  the  wet  dune 
hollows  all  over  the  island.  Recorded  as  S.  graminoides  Bicknell 
by  Bicknell,  Bull.  Torr.  Bot.  Club,  xxvii.  239  (1900).  J.  Macoun 
(C.  nos.  76,855,  76,856,  and  76,857);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,186  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — July  and  August. 

[S.  ANGUSTIFOLIUM  Mill.  All  records  of  this  from  Sable  Island 
should  be  interpreted  as  S.  gramineum.] 

ORCHIDACEAE. 

Habenaria  bracteata  (Willd.)  R.  Br.  In  boggy  spots  near 
Island  Pond.  Found  only  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,614).  This 
specimen  has  been  recorded  by  Ames  as  H.  viridis  R.  Br.,  var.  brac- 
teata Gray,  in  his  Orchidaceae,  iv.  24  (1910). 

Fr.— July. 

[H.  VIRIDIS  R.  Br.,  var.  BRACTEATA  Gray  recorded  by  Ames  is 
//.  bracteata.] 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  69 

H.  clavellata  (Michx.)  Spreng.  Occasional  on  turfy  banks  near 
the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussoiv  (E);  H.  St. 
John,  nos.  1,187  and  1,188  (H). 

Fl,  Fr.— September. 

H.  lacera  (Michx.)  R.  Br.  Occasional  on  turfy  banks  and  in  the 
wet  dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John, 
nos.  1,189,  1,190,  1,191,  and  1,192  (H). 

FL — August.     Fr. — September. 

Calopogon  pulchellus  (Sw.)  R.  Br.  Frequent  in  the  wet  dune 
hollows.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1.193  and 
1,194  (H). 

Fl. — August. 

C.  pulchellus  (Sw.)  R.  Br.,  forma  latifolius  n.  f.,  foliis  oblongo- 
vel  elliptici-lanceolatis,  7-11  cm.  longis,  1.3-2.8  cm.  latis. 

Leaves  oblong-  or  elliptic-lanceolate,  7-11  cm.  long,  1.3-2.8  cm. 
wide. 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  wet  dune  hollow,  Sable  Island,  Aug.  27,  1913, 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,195  (TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.). 

Spiranthes    Romanzoffiana    Cham.    In    damp    boggy    spots. 
Found  only  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,603). 
Fl— July. 

SALICACEAE. 

SALIX  VIMINALIS  L.  A  planted  specimen  has  survived  at  life 
Saving  Station  No.  3,  and  attained  a  height  of  six  feet.  It  showed  no 
signs  of  having  fruited.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,196  (H). 

MYRICACEAE. 

Myrica  carolinensis  Mill.     Scattered  clumps  on  the  dry  dunes. 
J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,197  (H). 
Fr. — August. 

M.  CERIFERA  L.  Recorded  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  pp.  13  &  42) 
and  by  J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  2 18 A),  but  the  specimens  are  undoubtedly 
M .  carolinensis. 

BETULACEAE. 

BETULA  PENDULA  Roth.  Planted  in  1901,  and  one  tree  surviving 
near  Life  Saving  Station  No.  4,  although  not  equalling  the  Sand 
Grass  (Ammophila)  in  height.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,198  (H). 


70       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

B.  ALBA  L.  (B.  PUBESCENS  Ehrh.)  Two  thousand  trees  were 
planted  in  1901  in  Gourdeau  Park  and  a  few  are  still  growing  there, 
but  are  not  over  two  feet  in  height.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,199  (H). 

POLYGONACEAE. 

Rum  ex  Britannic  a  L.  Occurring  only  along  the  swampy  mar- 
gins of  the  fresh-water  ponds  extending  beyond  the  eastern  end  of 
Wallace  Lake,  near  Life  Saving  Station  No.  3.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no. 
22,595);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,200  (H). 

FL — August.     Fr. — September. 

[R.  OCCIDENTALS  Wats.  The  plant  so  listed  by  J.  Macoun  is 
R.  Britannica.] 

R.  CRISPUS  L.  Introduced  and  common  near  the  Life  Saving 
Stations,  rare  elsewhere.  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,201,  1,202, 
and  1,203  (H). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

R.  maritimus  L.,  var.  fueginus  (Phil.)  Dusen.  See  St.  John 
Rhodora,  xvii.  81  (1915).  Abundant  on  the  brackish  beaches  of 
Wallace  Lake,  and  appearing  as  a  weed  in  the  gardens  through  the 
use  as  a  fertilizer  of  sea-weed  collected  on  the  beach  of  the  lake. 
J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,549);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,204,  1,205,1,206,1,207, 
and  1,208  (H). 

Fl. — August.     Fr. — September. 

R.  ACETOSELLA  L.     Thoroughly  established  on  the  drier  parts  of 
the  island,  especially  near  the  Life  Saving  Stations.     Mentioned  by 
J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  pp.  13  &.42).     Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T. 
Gussow;    H.  St.  John,  no.  1,209  (H). 
Fl. — August. 

Polygonum   Rail   Bab.     Wet   dune   hollow,   possibly   brackish. 
Known  only  from  the  collection,  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,210  (H). 
Fl. — August. 

[P.  FOWLERI  Robinson.  The  plant  so  listed  by  J.  Macoun  is  P. 
aviculare.] 

P.  AVICULARE  L.     Well  established  near  the  Life  Saving  Stations. 
J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,599,  also  as  door-weed  M.  p.  218A);  H.  St. 
John,  nos.  1,211,  and  1,212  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  71 

P.  LAPATHIFOLIUM  L.  In  a  potato  field,  East  End  Post,  J.  Macoun 
(C.  no.  22,590). 

FL,  Fr.— July. 

P.  LAPATHIFOLIUM  L.,  var.  PROSTRATUM  Wimmer.  Brackish 
beach  of  Wallace  Lake  near  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,361  (H).  Material  of  this  number  was  distributed 
under  an  unpublished  manuscript  name. 

FL,  .Fr.— September. 

P.  SCABRUM  Moench  (P.  TOMENTOSUM  Schrank).  A  weed  at  the 
Main  Life  Saving  Station.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,213  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 

P.  HYDROPIPER  L.     Introduced  around  buildings,  Main  Life  Sav- 
ing Station,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,582). 
FL,  Fr. — August. 

P.  PERSICARIA  L.     A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.    H. 
St.  John,  no.  1,214  (H). 
FL,  Fr.— August. 

P.  hydropiperoides  Michx.,  var.  psilostachyum,  n.  var., 
P.  hydropiperoidem  simulans  sed  differt  ocreolis  glabris  eciliolatis, 
marginibus  pellucidis;  foliis  glabris  vel  glabratis  brevioribus,  4-8 
cm.  longis,  0.8-2.4  cm.  latis. 

Differing  from  P.  hydropiperoides,  which  has  leaves  pubescent  at 
least  on  the  midrib  and  near  the  margins  and  often  throughout,  in 
having  glabrous  eciliolate  ocreolae  which  have  scarious  transparent 
margins,  and  in  the  glabrous  or  glabrate  comparatively  short  leaves, 
4-8  cm.  long,  0.8-2.4  cm.  wide. 

NOVA  SCOTIA  :  in  muddy  ponds  and  by  their  borders,  Sable  Is- 
land, Aug.  3,  1899,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,583);  Sable  Island,  Sept., 
1911,  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  shallow  fresh-water  pond,  Sable  Island, 
Aug.  16,  1913,  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,215  (H);  swampy  edge  of  fresh- 
water pond,  Sable  Island,  Aug.  23,  1913,  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,216 
(TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.).  WASHINGTON:  White  Salmon,  Oct.,  1880, 
W.  N.  Suksdorf,  no.  483  (H);  Columbia  River  Bottom,  Klickitat 
Co.,  Oct.  12,  1881,  W.  N.  Suksdorf,  no.  56  (H  &  P). 

To  the  last-cited  specimen  there  is  a  reference  in  a  letter  from  W. 
N.  Suksdorf  to  Dr.  Sereno  Watson,  dated  Oct.  20,  1881.  "It  is  an 
indigenous  plant  no  doubt,  very  frequent  on  low  bottom  lands  near 
the  Columbia  River;  perennial,  the  prostrate  stems  rooting  at  the 
joints,  the  flowering  portion  mostly  ascending."  On  the  list  is  a 
note  in  Dr.  Watson's  handwriting,  "but  bracts  not  ciliate."  So  it 


72       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

appears  that  Dr.  Watson  had  noticed  one  of  the  characters  of  the 
var.  psilostachyum,  but  he  took  no  action. 

P.  CONVOLVULUS  L.     A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station. 
J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,217  (H). 
FL,  Fr.—  August. 

CHENOPODIACEAE. 

Chenopodium  rubrum  L.  Common  on  the  brackish  beach  of 
Wallace  Lake.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,218 
(H). 

Fr. — September. 

C.  ALBUM  L.  A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.  J.  Ma- 
coun; (also  as  "lamb's  quarter"  M.  p.  218 A);  H.  St.  John,  no. 
1,219  (H). 

/'/.—August. 

A  narrow-leaved  form  is  also  established  at  the  Main  Life  Saving 
Station.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,220  (H). 

Fl. — September. 

Atriplex  patula  L.,  var.  hastata  (L.)  Gray.  Common  on  the 
wet  brackish  beach  of  Wallace  Lake.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,221  (H). 

Fr.— September. 

CARYOPHYLLACEAE. 

Spergularia  leiosperma  (Kindberg)  F.  Schmidt.  See  Fernald  & 
Wiegand,  Rhodora,  xii.  162  (1910).  Common  on  the  brackish  sandy 
beach  of  Wallace  Lake.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,151);  H.  T.  Gussow 
(E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,222  and  1,223  (H). 

Fl. — August.     Fr. — August   and    September. 

[S.  CANADENSIS  (Pers.)  Don  of  J.  Macoun  and  H.  T.  Gussow  is  S. 
leiosperma.] 

SPERGULA  ARVENSIS  L.     A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station. 
J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,224  and  1,225  (H). 
Fl. — August  and  September.     Fr. — September. 

Sagina  procumbens  L.    Frequent  in  the  wet  dune  hollows. 
J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,226  (H);  H.  S.  Glazebrook  (H). 
Fl. — June  to  August.     Fr. — July  to  August. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  73 

Arenaria  lateriflora  L.,  var.  typica  (Regel)  St.  John.  Turfy 
banks  and  grass-covered  dunes.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,227  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

[A.  GROENLANDICA  (Retz.)  is  recorded  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p. 
14).  I  searched  for  this  specimen  in  the  Herbarium  of  the  New  York 
Botanical  Garden,  but  could  not  find  it.  I  strongly  suspect  the  plant 
is  A.  lateriflora,  var.  typica.] 

[A.  PEPLOIDES  L.  Recorded  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  14)  and  by 
J.  Macoun  (M.  p.  213A)  is  probably  to  be  treated  as  of  the  var. 

robusta.] 

A.  peploides  L.,  var.  robusta  Fernald.  See  Rhodora,  xi.  114 
(1909).  Very  abundant  at  the  top  of  the  beaches,  on  the  dry  bars 
and  sand  spits.  As  is  the  case  with  Ammophila,  this  plant  plays  an 
important  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  island.  The  terns  of  three  sorts 
which  nest  on  the  sand  flats,  almost  invariably  place  their  nests  in  a 
clump  of  the  Arenaria.  From  a  somewhat  unusual  cause,  a  botanist 
finds  great  difficulty  in  collecting  good  specimens  of  this  abundant 
plant.  For  weeks  he  can  inspect  clump  after  clump  of  the  Arenaria 
and  find  that  in  each  case  there  has  been  an  earlier  visitor,  and  a 
very  destructive  one.  This  succulent,  free-growing  plant  is  the 
choicest  fodder  of  the  "gangs"  of  wild  ponies  that  roam  the  island, 
and  as  these  total  anywhere  from  two  to  four  hundred  ponies,  it  is 
easy  to  see  how  they  would  make  serious  depredations  on  any  plant 
growing  only  in  a  limited  portion  of  an  area  of  about  fifteen  square 
miles.  Taking  the  hint  from  the  ponies,  I  myself  tried  munching  a 
sprig  of  the  Arenaria,  and  found  it  of  good  texture,  juicy  and  with  a 
strong  but  not  unpleasant  taste  resembling  that  of  cabbage.  J. 
Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  14);  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,228  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

STELLARIA  GRAMINEA  L.     A  weed,  established  at  the  Main  Life 
Saving  Station.     J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,229  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — August. 

S.  MEDIA  (L.)  Cyrill.  A  weed,  thoroughly  established  at  the 
Main  Life  Saving  Station.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,154);  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,230  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — July  and  August. 


74       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

[S.  MEDIA  (L.)  Cyrill.,  ssp.  NEGLECTA  Weihe.  Theo.  Holm,  in  the 
Ottawa  Nat.  xv.  37-41  (1901),  records  this  from  Sable  Island,  basing 
it  on  J.  Macoun's  collection  (C.  no.  21,154).  I  have  examined  this 
specimen  and  can  see  no  justification  for  separating  it  from  <S.  media.] 

[S.  MEDIA  (L.)  Cyrill.,  var.  PROCERA  Klett  &  Richter.  Recorded 
in  Gray's  Man.  ed.  7,  382  (1908),  is  to  be  treated  as  S.  media.] 

CERASTIUM  VULGATUM  L.  Established  on  the  dry  dunes  near  the 
Life  Saving  Stations.  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,231  (H);  H. 
S.  Glazebrook  (H). 

Fl. — June  to  August.     Fr. — August. 

SILENE  NOCTIFLORA  L.     A  weed  at  Life  Saving  Station  No.  3. 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,232  (H). 
Fr. — September. 

PORTULACACEAE. 

[MONTIA  FONTANA  L.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun,  but  the  specimen  is 
Tillaea  aquatica.] 

PORTULACA  OLERACEA  L.  A  weed,  observed  in  the  garden  of  the 
Main  Life  Saving  Station. 

NYMPHAEACEAE. 

Nymphozanthus  variegatus  (Engelm.)  Fernald.  See  Rhodora, 
xxi.  187  (1919).  Abundant  in  the  small  ponds  which  at  all  times  are 
absolutely  isolated  from  the  sea.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,142);  H. 
St.  John,  no.  1,233  (H). 

Fl. — July  and  August.     Fr. — August. 

[NUPHAR  ADVENA  Ait.  All  records  from  the  island  are  to  be  con- 
sidered as  Nymphozanthus  variegatus.] 

RANUNCULACEAE. 

Ranunculus    Cymbalaria   Pursh.     Common    on    the    brackish 
beaches.     J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,130);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,234  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — July  to  September. 

[R.  CYMBALARIA  Pursh,  var.  ALPINUS  Hook,  recorded  by  J.  Ma- 
coun. The  specimen  is  better  treated  as  R.  Cymbalaria.] 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  75 

R.  reptans  L.  (R.  Flammula,  var.  reptans  (L.)  Meyer.)  Very 
common  in  the  wet  dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow;  H. 
St.  John,  no.  1,235  (H). 

FL,  Fr.—  August. 

R.  REPENS  L.     A  rare  introduction.    Found  only  by  J.  Macoun 
(C.    no.    21,132). 
Fr. — August. 

R.  ACRIS  L.  A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.  J.  Macoun; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,236  and  1,237  (H). 

FL — August  and  September.     Fr. — September. 

[THALICTRUM  DIOICUM  L.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun,  and  H.  T.  Gussow, 
but  the  specimens  are  T.  polygamum,  var.  hebecarpum.] 

Thalictrum  polygamum  Muhl.,  var.  hebecarpum  Fernald. 
Common  on  the  stable,  well  vegetated  dunes.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D. 
p.  13)  mentions  as  one  of  the  weeds  "  Thalictrum  sp.?"  As  there  is 
but  one  species  of  Meadow  Rue  growing  on  the  island,  and  that  very 
commonly,  we  can  feel  reasonably  sure  that  J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  found  T. 
polygamum,  var.  hebecarpum.  It  is  hard  to  understand,  however, 
why  he  called  it  a  weed.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,134);  H.T.  Gussow 
(E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,238  (H). 

Fl. — July  and  August.     Fr. — August  and  September. 

[T.  ZIBELLINUM  Greene.  In  the  Ottawa  Naturalist,  xxiv.  30 
(1910)  this  new  species  was  published,  based  upon  the  collection  of 
J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,134).  I  have  examined  the  suite  of  specimens 
collected  under  this  number  and  feel  no  hesitation  about  stating  that 
the  plant  should  be  treated  as  T.  polygamum,  var.  hebecarpum.] 

Coptis  trifolia  (L.)  Salisb.  On  the  more  permanent,  grass- 
covered  dunes.  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,239  (H);  H.  S.  Glaze- 
brook  (H). 

FL— June. 

CRUCIFERAE. 

CAPSELLA  BURSA-PASTORIS  (L.)  Medic.  A  weed  at  the  Main  Life 
Saving  Station.  J.  Macoun;  (also  as  "shepherd's  purse"  M.  p. 
218  A);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,240  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 


76       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Cakile  edentula  (Bigel.)  Hook.  Common  on  the  sea  strands 
and  along  the  brackish  beach  of  Wallace  Lake.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T. 
Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,241  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

RAPHANUS  SATIVUS  L.    Established  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Sta- 
tion.    H.  St.  John,  no.  1,242  (H). 
FL — August. 

BRASSICA  ARVENSIS  (L.)  Ktze.     A  weed  near  the  Life  Saving  Sta- 
tions.    J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,243  (H). 
FL — August. 

SISYMBRIUM  OFFICINALE   (L.)   Scop.     A  weed  near  Life  Saving 
Station,  No.  3.     H.  St.  John,  no.  1,244  (H). 
FL,    />.— September. 

DROSERACEAE. 

Drosera  rotundifolia  L.  Common  in  the  wet  dune  hollows  and 
on  the  margins  of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,245  (H). 

FL,    Fr. — August. 

D.  longifolia  L.     In  wet  sand  and  bogs,  found  only  by  J.  Macoun 
(C.  no.  21,187). 
FL — August. 

CRASSULACEAE. 

Tillaea  aquatica  L.  Forming  pure  mats  at  the  wet  borders  of 
the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,156);  H.  St.  John, 
nos.  1,246  and  1,247  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — July  and  August. 

The  three  collections  of  this  plant  from  Sable  Island  show,  in  the 
same  clump,  plants  which  have  "nearly  sessile"  flowers  and  fruit, 
and  other  plants  bearing  nearly  sessile  flowers  in  the  upper  axils  and 
peduncled  ones  in  the  lower  axils.  According  to  our  present  Ameri- 
can treatments,  we  should  have  to  recognize  in  these  apparently 
pure  clumps  two  species.  An  examination  of  the  American  material 
of  Tillaea  Vaillantii  Willd.  shows  that  in  every  known  locality  T. 
aquatica  occurs  and  occurs  more  abundantly,  that  its  characters  are 
a  matter  of  degree,  not  strictly  definable.  Consequently  the  author 
feels  that  T.  Vaillantii  of  American  authors  should  be  treated  as 
identical  with  T.  aquatica.  The  inference  must  not  be  drawn  that 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  77 

the  author  is  discounting  T.  Vaillantii  Willd.  of  Europe,  which  is  a 
valid  and  distinct  species. 

SAXIFRAGACEAE. 

HYDRANGEA  PANICULATA  Sieb.,  var.  GBANDIFLORA  Sieb.  From  the 
twenty-five  planted  in  1901,  one  is  still  surviving  at  Life  Saving 
Station,  No  3.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,248  (H). 

ROSACEAE. 

Pyrus  arbutifolia  (L.)  L.  f.,  var.  atropurpurea  (Britton)  Robin- 
son. Common  on  the  more  permanent,  well  vegetated  parts  of  the 
island.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,174);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,249  and 
1,250. 

Fr. — August. 

[P.  MELANOCARPA  (Michx.)  Willd.  Listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow  on 
the  basis  of  a  field  determination.  It  is  doubtless  to  be  considered 
as  P.  arbutifolia,  var.  atropurpurea.] 

[FRAGARIA  VIRGINIANA  Duchesne.  Listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow  on 
the  basis  of  a  field  determination.  The  plant  was  undoubtedly  of 
the  var.  terrae-novae.] 

Fragaria  virginiana  Duchesne,  var.  terrae-novae  (Rydb.)  Fer- 
nald  &  Wiegand.  See  Rhodora,  xiii.  106  (1911).  Common  on  the 
semi-permanent  dunes,  and  in  the  turfy  hollows.  Andrew  Le  Mer- 
cier  in  1753  described  the  island  as  looking  all  "red  in  summer  with 
the  large  Strawberries."  We  must  remember,  however,  that  by 
means  of  this  article  Le  Mercier  hoped  to  sell  the  island,  which  was 
then  his  private  property.  J.  B.  Gilpin  in  1858  (G.  p.  18)  mentioned 
the  "Strawberries."  Similarly  J.  C.  Tache  speaks  of  "les  fraises," 
(T.  p.  29).  J.  Dwight,  Jr.;  J.  Macoun  (C.  nos.  21,172  and  21,182); 
H.  T.  Gussow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,251  (H). 

Fl. — June. 

[F.  CANADENSIS  Michx.  recorded  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  is  F.  virgin- 
iana, var.  terrae-novae.] 

[POTENTILLA  MONSPELiENSis  L.  The  records  of  J.  Macoun,  and 
H.  T.  Gussow  should  be  for  var.  norvegica.] 

Potentilla  monspeliensis  L.,  var.  norvegica  (L.)  Rydb.  Com- 
mon around  the  margins  cf  the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C. 
no.  21,176);  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,252  and  1,253 
(H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 


78       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

P.  palustris  (L.)  Scop.     Occasional  on  the  wet  pond  margins. 
Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,254,  1,255,  and  1,362  (H). 
Fr. — September. 

P.  palustris  (L.)  Scop,  approaching  var.  parvifolia  (Raf.)  Fernald 
&  Long.  See  Rhodora,  xvi.  10  (1914).  Swampy  edge  of  a  fresh 
pond,  near  the  east  end  of  Wallace  Lake,  growing  in  the  same  colony 
with  P.  palustris.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,256  (H). 

Fr. — September. 

P.  tridentata  Ait.  Occasional  on  the  sand  dunes.  Listed  by 
J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,257  (H). 

Fl—  August. 

P.  pacifica  Howell.  See  Rhodora  xi.  8  (1909).  Abundant  along 
the  brackish  beaches  of  Wallace  Lake.  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,258  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

[P.  ANSERINA  L.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun,  but  is  probably  P.  paci- 
fica] 

Rubus  hispidus  L.  Known  from  this  area  only  by  a  small  frag- 
ment collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,139  in  part)  (H). 

Rubus  arcuans  Fernald  &  St.  John,  n.  sp.,  arcuans  deinde  pros- 
tratus;  turionibus  aculeis  3-4.5  mm.  longis  robustis  curvatis  re- 
trorsis  valde  armatis;  foliis  plerumque  trifoliolatis  aliquando  quin- 
quefoliolatis  vel  subquinquef oliolatis ;  foliolis  obovatis  acutis  vel 
suborbiculatis  coriaceis  supra  nigri-viridibus  subtus  pallidi-viridibus 
grosse  dupliciterque  serratis,  3.5-8.5  cm.  longis,  2-6.2  cm.  latis, 
costa  media  subter  aculeis  raris  instructa,  costis  minute  pilosis: 
ramis  floriferis  prostratis ;  foliis  trifoliolatis  vel  simplicibus ;  foliolis  cori- 
aceio  obovatis  grosse  dupliciterque  serratis  2.5-8  cm.  longis,  1.5-7  cm. 
latis,  costis  subter  pilosis;  inflorescentia  racemosa  vel  compositi- 
racemosa  foliosa  interrupta,  0.6-3.2  dm.  longa;  pedicellis  1.5-4  cm. 
longis,  densissime  pilosis  aculeis  aliquando  glandulis  paucis  stipitatis 
munitis;  sepalis  lanceolati-ovatis ;  petalis  albis  spatulatis,  7-11 
mm.  longis;  fructibus  globosis. 

Arching  and  becoming  prostrate:  canes  of  the  first  year  thickly 
beset  with  strong  curved  retrorse  bristles,  which  are  3-4.5  mm.  in 
length:  the  leaves  normally  3-foliolate,  but  sometimes  5-foliolate 
or  imperfectly  so;  the  leaflets  obovate  with  an  acute  tip  or  nearly 
orbicular,  coriaceous,  dark  green  above,  light  green  beneath,  coarsely 
doubly  serrate,  3.5-8.5  cm.  long,  2-6.2  cm.  wide;  the  midrib  armed 
beneath  with  scattered  prickles;  the  veins  finely  pilose:  fruiting 
canes  prostrate,  with  trifoliolate  or  simple  leaves;  the  coriaceous  leaf- 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  79 

lets  obovate,  pilose  on  the  veins,  coarsely  and  doubly  serrate,  2.5-8 
cm.  long,  1.5-7  cm.  wide:  the  inflorescence  an  interrupted  leafy  sub- 
cylindric  simple  or  compound  raceme,  0.6-3.2  dm.  long;  pedicels 
1.5-4  cm.  long,  very  densely  pilose,  armed  with  prickles  and  at  times 
with  a  few  stipitate  glands;  sepals  lance-ovate;  petals  white,  spatu- 
late,  7-11  mm.  long;  fruit  globose. 

PRINCE  EDWARD  ISLAND:  dry  open  soil,  Dundee,  Aug.  26,  1912, 
M.  L.  Fernald,  Bayard  Long,  and  Harold  St.  John,  no.  7,652  (TYPE 
in  Gray  Herb.);  railroad  banks,  Mt.  Stewart,  July  30,  1912,  M.  L. 
Fernald,  E.  B.  Bartram,  Bayard  Long,  and  Harold  St.  John,  nos. 
7,655  and  7,654  (H);  Miscouche,  Sept.  12,  1909,  W.  H.  Blanchard, 
no.  806  (H).  NOVA  SCOTIA:  Pictou,  July  22,  1907,  C.  B.  Robinson, 
no.  574  (H).  SABLE  ISLAND:  July  24, 1899,  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,193 
in  part);  sprawling  among  Ammophila  on  sand  dunes,  Aug.  26, 1913, 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,259  (H).  MASSACHUSETTS:  damp  dune  hollows 
east  of  Race  Point  Life  Saving  Station,  Provincetown,  August  2,  1919, 
Fernald  &  Long,  no.  18,585. 

Rydberg  cites  with  some  doubt  the  Macoun  nos.  21,183  and 
21,193  from  Sable  Island  as  Rubus  nigricans  X  recurvans,  Bull.  Torr. 
Bot.  Cl.  xlii.  476  (1915);  and  on  the  following  page  he  cites  no. 
21,193  as  Rubus  nigricans  X  procumbens.  On  p.  478  he  cites  the  C. 
B.  Robinson  no.  574  as  Rubus  hispidus  X  nigricans. 

An  anonymous  writer  reports  "  blackberries "  on  Sable  Island 
(All  the  Year  Round,  Ix.  521,  1890). 

This  species  of  the  Maritime  Provinces  and  Cape  Cod  differs  from 
RMardaius  Blanchard  by  having  broadly  obovate  more  coriaceous 
leaflets,  abundant  strong  prickles,  densely  villous  and  ordinarily 
glandless  but  bristly  pedicels;  instead  of  the  broadly  lanceolate 
leaflets  tapering  to  each  end,  the  less  numerous  weaker  prickles, 
and  the  less  pubescent  and  copiously  glandular  pedicels  of  that 
species;  from  R.  setosus  Bigel.  by  having  strong  prickles  thickened 
at  the  base  and  broad  obovate  bluntly  serrate  dark  green  coriaceous 
leaflets,  instead  of  fine  setae  and  narrower  oblanceolate  sharply 
serrate  paler  leaflets,  long-trailing  tips  of  the  branches  and  essen- 
tially glandless  pedicels;  from  R.  hispidus  L.  by  its  much  coarser 
habit,  strong  prickles,  larger  leaves,  and  its  more  elongate  coarser 
inflorescence  with  larger  corolla  and  larger  seeds  (averaging  3  mm. 
in  length),  the  comparatively  delicate  R.  hispidus  having  fine  weak 
prickles  and  more  rounded  smaller  leaflets  and  small  fruits  with  seeds 
averaging  2  mm.  in  length. 

FL,  Fr.— August. 

Rosa  virginiana  Mill.  Very  common  on  the  more  stable  sand 
dunes  throughout  the  island.  "The  wild  rose"  is  mentioned  by 
J.  B.  Gilpin  (G.  p.  18).  J.  C.  Tache  says,  "La  plus  belle  plante 
d'ornement  est  le  rosier  sauvage,  qui  vient  a  merveille,  sur  cette 


80       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

terre  si  souvent  enveloppee  de  brouillards  et  visitee  par  les   orages" 
(T.  p.  29).     J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Giissow;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,260  (H). 
Fr. — August  and  September. 

[R.  NITIDA  Willd.,  is  a  tentative  determination  put  on  material 
in  young  leaf  collected  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  13).  The  plant  is 
doubtless  R.  mrginiana.] 

LEGUMINOSAE. 

CYTISUS  SCOPARIUS  (L.)  Link.  In  1901  there  were  planted 
1,000  bushes  of  this  species.  In  1913  there  was  to  be  seen  but  one 
small  clump  which  still  survived  in  Gourdeau  Park.  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,261  (H). 

TRIFOLIUM  PRATENSE  L.  A  weed,  well  established  around  the 
Life  Saving  Stations.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  12)  states  that  this 
species  has  "been  cultivated  near  the  stations."  H.  T.  Giissow ; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,262  (H). 

Fl. — August  and  September. 

T.  REPENS  L.  Dry  sand  flats  and  pond  shores.  An  anonymous 
writer  who  visited  Sable  Island  in  1851  says,  "  In  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  chief  residence,  where  white  clover  and  other  grasses  have  been 
sown,  so  luxuriant  is  the  yield  that  over  100  tons  of  hay  are  made 
annually"  (Leisure  Hour,  xxx.  433,  1881). 

J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  (D.  p.  12)  in  referring  to  this  species  says,  "Man's 
influence  has  been  at  work  on  the  island  for  so  many  centuries  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  draw  the  line  between  indigenous  species, 
if  such  there  be,  and  those  artificially  introduced."  This  species 
grows  particularly  on  the  dry  sands  near  the  Life  Saving  Stations 
and  along  the  shores  of  the  adjacent  ponds  where  the  cattle  and  the 
domesticated  ponies  browse  continually,  and  because  of  this  it  seemed 
to  the  writer  that  the  White  Clover  was  one  of  the  species  that  was 
obviously  introduced.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun  (also  as  "  white  clover, " 
M.  p.  218A);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,263  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 

T.  HYBRIDUM  L.     A  garden  weed.     Listed  by  J.  'Macoun;  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,264  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — September. 

Lathyrus  maritimus  (L.)  Bigel.  Very  abundant  all  over  the 
island,  and  an  able  ally  of  the  Sand  Grass  in  its  perpetual  defensive 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  81 

against  the  eroding  forces  that  threaten  to  destroy  the  island.  In 
1633  John  Rose  reported,  "store  of  wild  peas"  (Winthrop,  John:  His- 
tory of  New  England  from  1630  to  1 649,  ed.  James  Savage  i.  162, 1825). 
Writing  in  1753  Andrew  Le  Mercier  (L)  says  of  the  island,  "It 
hath  abundance  of  Wild  or  Beach  Pease,  which  fatten  the  cattle  very 
well."  In  1766  and  1767  Joseph  Frederick  Wallet  Des  Banes 
found  "wild  pease"  (Atlantic  Neptune  i.  68,  1777).  Seth  Coleman 
in  1801  found  the  "wild  Pea"  (Kept,  on  Canadian  Archives  91,1895). 
Joseph  Howe,  in  1851,  "was  agreeably  surprised  to  find  it  covered, 
for  nearly  its  whole  length  of  five  and  twenty  miles,  with  natural 
grass  and  wild  peas"  (Append,  to  Journ.  cf  House  of  Assembly  of 
N.  S.  161,  1851).  The  "wild  pea"  is  mentioned  by  J.  B.  Gilpin, 
1858  (G.  p.  18).  J.  C.  Tache  mentions  the  abundance  of  the"Len- 
tille  du  Canada,  qu'on  nomme  ici  'pois  sauvages'"  (T.  p.  29). 
J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  13)  lists  this  with  Gnaphalium  sp.  and  calls 
them  both  weeds!  Macoun  says  (M.  p.  215A),  "This  one  species 
of  grass  [Ammophila  arenaria]  with  the  wild  pea  (Lathyrus  maritimus) 
constitutes  the  bulk  of  the  wild  hay  cut  for  winter  fodder  and  the 
winter  pasturage  of  the  wild  horses."  Listed  by  J.  Macoun  and 
H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,265  and  1,  266  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — August. 

[L.  PALUSTRIS  L.  of  J.  Macoun's  and  H.  T.  Gussow's  list  is  of  the 
var.  macranthus.] 

L.  palustris  L.,  var.  macranthus  (T.  G.  White)  Fernald.  See 
Rhodora,  xiii.  50  (1911).  Abundant  at  the  swampy  or  sandy  borders 
of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  nos.  21,165  and  21,195); 
H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,267  and  1,268  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 

[L.  PALUSTRIS  L.,  var.  MYRTIFOLIUS  (Muhl.)  Gray  of  J.  Macoun's 
list  is  of  the  var.  macranthus.] 

L.  palustris  L.,  var.  retusus  Fernald  &  St.  John,  n.  var.,  sub- 
pilosus,  caule  tenue  paulo  alato,  stipulis  lanceolatis  semisagittatis 
8-18  mm.  longis,  foliolis  2-3-jugis  spatulatis  vel  cuneato-ellipticis 
mucronatis  retusis  2-4.5  cm.  longis,  0.6-1.6  cm.  latis,  cirrhis  2-4- 
fidis,  4-floris,  1.2—1.6  cm.  longis,  legumine  4  cm.  longo. 

Somewhat  pilose  throughout:  the  stem  slender,  slightly  winged: 
stipules  lanceolate,  semisagittate,  8-18  mm.  long:  leaflets  of  2  or  3 
pairs,  spatulate  or  cuneate-elliptic,  mucronate,  retuse,  2-4.5  cm. 
long,  0.6-1.6  cm.  wide:  tendrils  well  developed,  2-4-parted:  flowers 
4  in  number,  1.2-1.6  cm.  in  length:  the  pod  4  cm.  long. 


82       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY' NATURAL  HISTORY. 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  edge  of  fresh-water  pond,  Sable  Island,  Aug.  21, 
1913,  Harold  St.  John,  no.  1,271  (TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.). 

This  endemic  variety  differs  from  all  the  other  known  varieties 
of  Lathyrus  palustris  in  having  the  leaves  broadest  near  the  tip,  and 
tapering  gradually  to  a  cuneate  base. 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

EMPETRACEAE. 

Empetrum  nigrum  L.  Very  abundant  on  the  low  undulating 
dunes  and  sheltered  slopes  in  the  more  stable  parts  of  the  island. 
The  juicy,  attractively  colored,  but  unpleasantly  flavored  berries 
form  a  part  of  the  food  of  the  birds  that  visit  the  island,  especially 
the  Curlews.  They  are  sometimes  used  by  the  residents  of  the  is- 
land in  the  manufacture  of  a  slightly  alcoholic  drink.  The  berries 
are  crushed,  then  after  the  addition  of  sugar  or  molasses  the  juice  is 
put  in  a  dark  air-tight  receptacle  until  the  fermentation  takes  place. 
J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  pp.  9  &  12)  noticed  that  a  large  part  of  the  island 
"is  carpeted  with  the  evergreen  Crowberry  (Empetrwnnigrumlj.)." 
J.  Macoun  also  comments  upon  its  abundance  (M.  p.  2 15 A,  216 A 
&  218A).  It  is  listed  by  H.  T.  Giissow.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,269  and 
1,270  (H). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

AQUIFOLIACEAE. 

Ilex  verticillata  (L.)   Gray.     Occasional  on  the  dry  slopes  of 
shifting  dunes.     H.  St.  John,  no.  2,041  (H). 
Not  observed  in  flower  or  fruit. 

ACERACEAE. 

ACER  PLATANOIDES  L.  One  sapling  surviving  at  Life  Saving 
Station,  No.  3.  In  1901  in  the  large  planting  there  were  500  of  these 
trees  set  out.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,272  (H). 

RHAMNACEAE. 

RHAMNUS  FRANGULA  L.  A  few  ragged  shrubs  still  surviving  at 
Gourdeau  Park.  None  of  them  exceed  2  feet  in  height.  In  1901 
there  were  100  bushes  of  this  set  out.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,273  (H). 

MALVACEAE. 

[J.  B.  Gilpin  (G.  p.  18-9)  in  1858  devotes  a  single  paragraph  to 
the  flora,  beginning  with,  "A  Botanist  would  give  a  scientific  list  of 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  83 

thirty  or  forty  varieties  of  shrubs  and  plants."  He  mentions  ten 
species,  closing  with  the  phrase,  "and  as  Autumn  heats  yellow  the 
luxuriant  green,  the  tall,  mallow,  gay  golden  rods  and  wild  China- 
asters  are  swept  by  the  heaving  gales."  J.  C.  Tache  (T.  p.  28-9) 
in  1885  refers  to  eight  of  these  ten  species  in  a  passage  which  is  noth- 
ing but  a  free  translation  from  Gilpin.  For  instance  Tache  begins 
with,  "La  Flore  des  Sablons  n'a  point  ete  completement  catalogued 
on  a  dit  qu'un  botaniste  pourrait  y  observer  trente  a  quarante  especes 
ou  varietes;  *  *  *  *  Ces  deux  plantes  fourrageres,  auxquelles 
s'adjoignent  la  verge  d'or,  la  mauve  et  des  autres  especes  *  *  *  ' 
Tache,  it  will  be  seen  has  taken  Gilpin's  "tall,  mallow,"  literally 
and  records  it  definitely  as,  "la  mauve."  Gilpin's  sentence,  as  it 
stands,  is  inconsistent,  for  if  there  were  no  comma  after  "tall, "it 
would  be  clear  that  he  wished  to  record  some  tall  mallow.  As  it  is, 
he  seems  to  be  setting  off  by  commas  a  series  of  adjectives  ail  quali- 
fying "golden  rods,"  and  we  may  perhaps  interpret  "mallow"  as 
a  misprint  for  "mellow."  No  one  of  the  four  naturalists  to  visit 
Sable  Island  has  found  anything  that  could  be  called  or  mistaken 
for  a  "tall,  mallow."  Consequently,  it  seems  better  to  drop  this 
record  as  a  probable  error.] 

GUTTIFERAE. 

Hypericum  boreale  (Britton)  Bicknell.  Abundant  in  the  wet 
dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,158).  Listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow. 
H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,274  and  1,275  (H). 

FL,  Fr—  August. 

[H.  MUTILUM  L.  of  J.  Macouri's  list  is  H.  boreale.] 

H.  virginicum  L.  Occasional  in  the  wet  dune  hollows  and  cran- 
berry bogs.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,157);  listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,276  (H). 

FL — July  and  August. 

VIOLACEAE. 

Viola  septentrionalis  Greene.      Collected  only  by  H.  S.  Glaze- 
brook,  the  Station  Master  of  Life  Saving  Station  No.  3. 
FL — June.  . 

[V.  OBLIOUA  Hill  (Blue  Violets)  is  recorded  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr. 
(D.  p.  13).  A  search  in  the  Herbarium  of  the  New  York  Botanical 


84       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Garden  failed  to  reveal  this  specimen.     It  probably  is  to  be  re- 
garded as  V.  septentrionalis.] 

V.  lanceolata  L.  Abundant  in  the  wet  dune  hollows.  [Recorded 
by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  13),  but  the  specimens  on  which  this  is 
based  are  V.  primulifolia.]  Listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,277  (H). 

Fl. — June  and  July.     Fr. — August. 

V.  primulifolia  L.    Rare,  on  dry  sandy  banks.     Collected  by 
J.  Dwight,  Jr.;  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,278  (H). 
Fl. — June  to  August. 

V.  pallens  (Banks)  Brainerd.  Common  in  the  wet  dune  hollows, 
and  along  the  swampy  borders  of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  H.  Si. 
John,  nos.  1,279,  1,280,  and  1,281  (H). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

[V.  BLANDA  Willd.  is  listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow.  The  plant  on  which 
the  record  is  based  proves  to  be  V.  incognita,  var.  Forbesii.] 

V.  incognita  Brainerd,  var.  Forbesii  Brainerd.  See  Bull.  Torr. 
Bot.  Cl.  xxxviii.  8  (1911).  Found  only  by  //.  T.  Gussow  (E);  and 
H.  S.  Glazebrook  (H). 

Fl. — June.     Fr. — September. 

ONAGRACEAE. 

Epilobium  molle  Torr.,  var.  sabulonense  Fernald.  Rbodora, 
xx.  31  (1918).  Quoting  from  the  original  publication  "habitu  foliis- 
que  ut  apud  f ormam  typicam ;  caulibus  f oliisque  dense  cinereo-pilosis, 
pilis  adpressis  incurvatis;  capsulis  cinereo-pilosis  valde  glandulosis. 

"Habit  and  foliage  as  in  the  typical  form:  stems  and  leaves  densely 
cinereous-pilose  with  appressed  incurved  hairs:  capsules  cinereous- 
pilose,  copiously  glandular. ' ' 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  swampy  edge  of  fresh-water  pond  at  Life  Saving 
Station  No.  3,  Sable  Island,  Sept.  9,  1913,  Harold  St.  John,  no.  1,282 
(TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.) ;  rare,  in  a  bog  at  No.  3  Station,  Sable  Island, 
(1899)  John  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,189). 

Flt  Fr.— September. 

"The  only  Epilobium  known  from  Sable  Island,  100  miles  off  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  is  a  plant  collected  in  1899  by  Prof.  John  Mac- 
oun and  in  1913  secured  in  quantity  by  Dr.  Harold  St.  John;  and  from 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  85 

the  observations  of  both  these  explorers  apparently  the  only  member 
of  the  genus  on  the  island.  The  plant  in  habit,  outline  of  foliage,  and 
large  flowers,  as  well  as  in  the  characters  of  its  calyx  and  seeds,  ex- 
actly matches  the  common  E.  molle  Torr.  of  the  mainland,  while  the 
capsules  have  the  peculiar  glandular  pubescence  which  is  found  upon 
the  capsules  of  E.  molle,  but  in  the  Sable  Island  plant  much  more 
highly  developed  than  is  common  in  mainland  specimens.  The 
stems  and  the  leaves  of  the  Sable  Island  plant,  however,  are 
densely  cinereous  with  appressed  and  incurved  hairs,  exactly  as 
in  E.  densum  Raf.;  E.  molle  having  the  stems,  leaves,  etc.,  densely 
covered  with  fine,  straight  conspicuously  spreading  pubescence. 

"This  Sable  Island  plant  with  the  technical  characters  of  calyx,  pet- 
als, etc.,  and  the  glandular  pubescence  of  the  capsule,  and  the  exact 
habit  and  leaf-outline  of  E.  molle,  but  with  the  pubescence  of  the 
leaves  and  stems  exactly  as  in  E.  densum  would,  if  found  upon  the  main- 
land, be  promptly  called  a  hybrid  between  those  two  species.  But 
neither  of  the  species  has  been  detected  on  Sable  Island,  a  region  of 
sufficiently  limited  area  to  give  assurance  that  the  extended  explor- 
ations of  Macoun  in  1899,  of  Giissow  in  1911,  and  of  St.  John  in  1913, 
when  the  latter  explorer  spent  four  weeks  in  an  intensive  study  of  the 
flora,  would  have  brought  to  light  any  other  existing  member  of  the 
genus.  Upon  Sable  Island,  then,  this  plant,  combining  the  characters 
of  two  ordinarily  distinct  species  of  the  mainland,  cannot  be  accepted 
as  a  hybrid,  at  least  of  modern  origin.  There  is,  moreover,  reason  to 
believe  that  the  flora  of  Sable  Island  reached  that  area  during  the 
late  Pleistocene  and  has  been  isolated  from  the  mainland 'flora  since 
that  time.  However  long  this  period  may  have  been,  whether  es- 
timated by  thousands  or  tens  of  thousands  of  years,  it  has  certainly 
been  a  sufficient  time  for  the  Sable  Island  plant  to  have  become  thor- 
oughly fixed  in  its  characters,  and  even  if,  many  thousands  of  years 
ago,  it  may  have  originated  as  a  hybrid,  it  has  upon  Sable  Island  in- 
tensified its  characters  and  become  a  thoroughly  constant  plant. 

"The  case  of  this  plant  is  exactly  comparable  with  that  of  E.  densum, 
\ar.nesophilum  *  *  *  the  peculiar  variant  of  E.  densum  found  upon  New- 
foundland and  the  Magdalen  Islands,  where  no  true  E.  densum  is 
found,  but  in  those  areas  suggesting  that  it  might  have  originated  in 
the  long-distant  past  by  the  hybridization  of  E.  densum  of  the  South 
and  E.  palustre  of  the  North.  Whether  these  plants  have  had  such 
an  origin  is  entirely  problematical  and  it  may  as  confidently  be  argued 


86       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

that  they  are  local  developments,  which  by  insular  isolation  have  be- 
come fixed  entities,  and  are  really  the  result  of  natural  selection. 
Whatever  the  origin  of  these  plants  may  be,  they  are  now  absolutely 
definite  and  consistent."1 

[E.  MOLLE  Torr.,  of  Macoun' s  list  is  based  on  one  of  the  plants  cit- 
ed above  as  E.  molle,  var.  sabuloneiwe.] 

Oenothera  cruciata  Nutt.  Occasional  on  the  slopes  of  the  dry 
dunes.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  21,193  in  part);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,283 
(H). 

Fl. — July  and  August.    Fr. — August  and  September. 

[O.  OAKESIANA  Robbins.  The  material  so  reported  by  J. 
Macoun,  (C.  no.  21,193)  is  in  part  0.  cruciata,  in  part  0.  muricata} 

O.  muricata  L.  Common  on  the  slopes  of  the  dry  dunes.  Col- 
lected by  J.  Macoun  (C.  nos.  78,527,  and  21,193  in  part);  H.  St. 
John,  nos.  1,284  and  1,285  (H). 

FL,  Fr— August. 

HALORAGIDACEAE. 

Myriophyllum  tenellum  Bigel.  Very  abundant  and  forming 
solid  bands  submersed  or  emersed  at  the  borders  of  the  fresh-watei 
ponds.  Dr.  A.  H.  MacKay  in  Trans.  N.  S.  Inst.  Sci.  x.  320  (1900) 
mentions  specimens  found  by  J.  Macoun.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun, 
and  H.  T.  Giissow.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,287,  and  1,288  (H). 

Fl. — July  and  August.     Fr. — September. 

Hippuris  vulgaris  L.  In  the  swampy  margins  of  a  few  of  the 
larger  and  more  permanent  fresh-water  ponds.  Listed  by  J.  Ma- 
coun; and  H.  T.  Giissow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,289  (H). 

Fl.,  Fr. — August. 

UMBELLIFERAE. 

Ligusticum  scothicum  L.  One  single  clump  observed  near  the 
brackish  margin  of  Wallace  Lake.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,290  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

Coelopleurum  lucidum  (L.)  Fernald.  (C.  actaeifolium  (Michx.) 
C.  &  R.)  Infrequent  on  the  slopes  of  the  turf-covered  dunes.  Listed 
by  J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T.  Giissow.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,291,  1,292, 
and  1,293  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— September. 

1  Fernald,  I.  c.  30-31. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  87 

PASTINACA  SATIVA  L.      Planted  in  the  garden  of  the  East  End 
Lighthouse.     H.  St.  John,  no.  1,294  (H). 
Fr. — September. 

DAUCUS  CAROTA  L.     A  weed  in  the  garden  at  Life  Saving  Station 
No.  4.     H.  St.  John,  no.  1,295  (H). 
FL— September. 

CORNACEAE. 

Gornus  canadensis  L.  This  species  has  been  observed  and  col- 
lected only  by  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  pp.  13  and  42). 

ERICACEAE. 

CALLUNA  VULGARIS  (L.)  Hull.  Adventive  but  not  well  established, 
growing  on  the  sheltered  turf-covered  slopes  of  the  dunes.  When 
J.  Macoun  visited  Sable  Island  in  1899,  he  did  not  find  Calluna. 
H.  T.  Gussow  in  1911  collected  it  and  noted,  "found  about  J^  mile 
west  of  Marconi  Station,  3  solitary  clumps  and  1  solitary  clump  10 
miles  East,  close  to  No.  3  Station."  In  1913,  during  my  visit,  only 
two  clumps  were  observed,  both  being  in  Gourdeau  Park,  the  locality 
near  the  Marconi  Station  mentioned  by  Gussow.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  first  records  of  Calluna  on  the  island  come  after  the  year 
1901,  when  the  large  forestry  planting  was  done.  The  trees  were  in 
greater  part  imported  from  a  French  nursery  and  Mr.  R.  J.  Bouteil- 
lier,  at  that  time  Superintendent  of  the  island,  tells  me  that  al- 
though Calluna  was  not  included  in  the  list  of  imported  plants,  it 
sprang  up  soon  after  near  them,  and  was  in  all  probability  used  for, 
or  carried  in,  the  protective  packing  around  the  trees.  Collected 
by  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  and  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,296  (H). 

FL — August  and  September. 

Vaccinium  pennsylvanicum  Lam.  Very  abundant  on  the  low 
turf -covered  dunes  and  undulating  barrens.  In  1766  and  1767,  J. 
F.  W.  Des  Banes  observed  "blueberries— &c.,  in  their  season" 
(Atlantic  Neptune,  i.  68,  1777).  J.  B.  Gilpin  writing  in  1858  re- 
marks that  "blueberries  *  *  *  are  in  abundance"  (G.  p.  18). 
J.  C.  Tache  mentions,  "  On  y  trouve,  en  fait  des  fruits,  *  *  *  les 
bluets"  (T.  p.  29).  J.  Dwight  in  1895  reports  this  species  in  blossom 
the  second  week  of  June  (D.  pp.  13  and  42).  Listed  by  J.  Macoun 
(also  M.  p.  218A);  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,297  (H). 

FL — June.     Fr. — September. 


88       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

V.  macrocarpon  Ait.  Very  abundant  in  most  of  the  wet  dune 
hollows.  The  cranberries  form  the  only  crop  produced  on  the  island 
that  is  of  any  importance.  From  50  to  200  barrels  are  picked  and 
exported  every  year.  J.  F.  W.  Des  Bar  res  reported  that  in  1766 
and  1767  he  found,  "hollows  and  ponds  of  fresh-water,  the  skirts 
of  which  abound  with  cranberries  the  whole  year"  (Atlantic  Nep- 
tune, i.  68,  1777).  Joseph  Howe  in  1851  found  that  "Cranberries 
of  Large  size,  and  fine  flavour,  grow  in  abundance  on  Sable  Island. 
A  few  barrels  of  these  are  generally  picked  in  the  autumn,  but  the 
cranberry,  as  a  source  of  income,  or  a  means  of  employment,  has 
scarcely  ever  been  thought  of  by  our  people"  (Append,  to  Journ. 
of  House  of  Assembly,  Prov.  of  N.  S.  161,  1851).  J.  B.  Gilpin 
recorded  in  1858  that  "cranberries  are  in  abundance  (G.  p.  18). 
J.  C.  Tache  mentions  that,  "on  y  trouve,  en  fait  des  fruits,  * 
les  atocas."  "Les  atocas  y  abondent  et  constituent  un  objet 
d 'exportation,  dont  la  valeur  annuelle  s'e*l£ve  a  quelques  cen- 
taines  de  piastres,"  (T.  p.  29).  J.  Dwight,  Jr.  (D.  p.  13)  speaks  of 
the  abundance  of  "Cranberries  (Schollera  macrocarpa  (Ait.))." 
They  are  also  included  in  the  lists  of  J.  Macoun  (also  M.  p.  21 5 A 
&  216A);  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no  1,298  (H). 

Fr. — August  and  September. 

[V.  OXYCOCCUS  L.  The  only  record  for  this  species  is  by  Capt. 
Fawson  in  his  report,  October  15,  1801  (see  Murdoch,  Beamish: 
Hist,  of  Nova-Scotia  ii.  6,  1866),  where  he  refers  to  it  by  the  common 
name,  " bogberries. "  He  mentions  both  "bogberries"  and  "cran- 
berries," so  he  is  apparently  intending  to  distinguish  between  the 
two,  but  as  there  are  no  other  records  of  the  former  from  the  island 
and  no  specimens,  this  record  needs  confirmation.] 

PRIMULACEAE. 

Lysimachia  terrestris  (L.)  B.  S.  P.  Occasional  in  the  wet  dune 
hollows.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John, 
nos.  1,299,  and  1,300  (H). 

Fl. — August. 

Trientalis  borealis  Raf.  (T.  americana  (Pers).  Pursh).  Com- 
mon on  the  turf-covered  dunes  and  barrens.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun. 
H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,301  and  1,302  (H);  H.  S.  Glazebrook  (H). 

FL— June. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  89 

Centunculus  minimus  L.  Locally  found  on  bare  sand  flats 
which  are  occasionally  flooded  by  the  sea.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,544) ; 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,303  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

GENTIANACEAE. 

[SABBATIA  CHLOROIDES  Pursh.  "The  chief  annual  is  of  southern 
extraction."  The  material  on  which  this  record  of  J.  Macoun' s 
(M.  p.  2 18 A)  is  based  is  Centaurium  umbellatum.] 

Bartonia  iodandra  Robinson,  var.  sabulonensis  Fernald,  n. 
var.,  a  forma  typica  recedit  floribus  numerosis  (4-30),  ramibus  saepe 
dichotomis,  pedunculis  valde  clavatis,  calyce  valde  fisso  lobis  pler- 
umque  distinctis. 

Differing  from  the  typical  form  in  its  more  numerous  (4-30) 
flowers;  the  branches  often  dichotomous;  peduncles  more  clavate; 
calyx  deeply  cleft,  the  lobes  mostly  distinct. 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  swampy  edges  of  fresh  ponds,  Sable  Island,  August 
30  and  September  12,  1913,  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,306,  1,307  (TYPE  in 
Gray  Herb.). 

FL — August  and  September.     Fr. — September. 

In  typical  Bartonia  iodandra  of  Newfoundland  and  Cape  Breton 
the  1-7-flowered  plants  have  simple  branches  and  the  peduncles  are 
more  filiform.  The  calyx  in  all  the  Newfoundland  and  Cape  Breton 
material  (examined  from  eight  regions)  is  cleft  only  %  to  ^  to  the 
base,  the  tube  being  1-2  mm  long  and  nerveless.  The  Sable  Island 
plant  with  usually  more  numerous  flowers  on  often  forking  branches 
rarely  has  a  definite  calyx-tube,  most  of  the  material  showing  the 
calyx  with  lobes  distinct  essentially  to  the  base,  the  margins  of  the 
outer  lobes  decurrent  down  the  peduncle.  In  this  character  the 
Sable  Island  plant  approaches  the  more  southern  B.  virginica  (L.) 
B  S  P.  and  B.  paniculata  (Michx.)  Robinson,  in  both  of  which  the 
calyx-lobes  are  essentially  distinct.  In  those  more  southern  yellow- 
ish-stemmed plants,  however,  the  yellowish-green  calyx-lobes  and 
the  usually  yellowish  leaves  are  firm  and  subulate  and  the  yellow 
corolla  is  at  most  5  mm.  long.  The  Sable  Island  plant  has  the  leaves 
scattered  or  alternate  as  in  B.  paniculata  but,  like  those  of  B.  iodandra, 
they  are  ovate  to  oblong-lanceolate,  bluntish  and  purple.  The  stem 
likewise  is  purple,  the  calyx-lobes  flat  and  thin,  ovate  to  oblong- 
lanceolate,  and  the  mature  petaloid  whitish  corolla  5-6  mm.  long,  all 
characters  of  B.  iodandra.  The  anthers  of  B.  iodandra  are  generally 


90       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

purple  though  sometimes  becoming  yellowish;  those  of  var.  sabulo- 
nensis  at  first  purple,  but  in  maturity,  becoming  yellow  like  those  of 
the  more  southern  species.  On  Newfoundland  and  Cape  Breton 
B.  iodandra  is  in  flower  through  August,  but  the  Sable  Island  plant 
is  some  weeks  later,  the  material  collected  August  30,  being  only  in 
bud. 

Combining  the  color,  foliage,  and  most  of  the  flower-characters 
of  B.  wdandra  with  the  habit  and  more  deeply  cleft  calyx  of  B. 
paniculata,  the  Sable  Island  plant  presents  an  interesting  transition. 
B.  paniculata  is  characteristic  of  the  Coastal  Plain  from  Louisiana 
to  southeastern  Massachusetts,  rarely  extending  to  southernmost 
Maine.  B.  iodandra  in  typical  development  is  confined  to  Cape 
Breton  and  Newfoundland;  and  the  transitional  plant  to  the  isolated 
Sable  Island,  one  of  the  last  remnants  of  the  ancient  continental 
shelf  which  extended  from  southern  New  England  to  the  Newfound- 
land banks.  It  would  thus  seem  probable  that  the  widely  distrib- 
uted southern  B.  paniculata  originally  spread  northward  on  the 
continental  shelf,  becoming  modified  toward  the  North,  the  Sable 
Island  plant  still  retaining  some  distinctive  paracw/ata-characters, 
which  have  disappeared  from  the  more  northern  and  further  isolated 
B.  iodandra  of  Cape  Breton  and  Newfoundland. 

Menyanthes  trifoliata  L.  "Quite  rare,  in  ponds  at  No.  3  sta- 
tion." Found  only  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,541). 

Centaurium  umbellatum  Gilib.  Very  common  in  the  wet 
dune  hollows,  and  by  the  wet  sandy  borders  of  the  fresh-water  ponds. 
Not  near  the  Life  Saving  Stations  or  the  Lighthouses  and  not  giving 
any  indication  of  being  introduced.  This  species  has  been  known 
in  North  America  for  a  long  time,  but  it  has  universally  been  treated 
in  botanical  manuals  as  an  introduced  plant.  This  seems  to  be 
the  true  explanation  in  the  greater  number  of  the  cases,  such  as  the 
record  from  Concord,  Massachusetts,1  A.  W.  Hosmer  reporting  it  "found 
at  Concord  in  1890,  not  seen  since."  The  species  is  occasional 
in  the  State  of  Michigan,  but  there  it  also  seems  to  be  an  introduction. 

There  is,  however,  a  station  near  Oswego,  New  York,  which  has 
been  known  for  nearly  a  hundred  years.  In  1833  Beck  reported,2 

*As  Erythraea  Centaurium  Pers.,  Rhodora  i.  224  (1899). 
2As  Erythraea  Centaurium  Pers.,  Beck,  L.  C.:  Bot.  of  N.  and  Middle  States, 
242  (1833). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  91 

"  I  have  specimens  of  this  plant  which  were  found  near  Oswego,  N.  Y., 
by  the  Rev.  David  Brown  of  Lockport.  It  is  apparently  indigenous. " 
In  1865,  J.  A.  Paine  commented,1  "Meadows  and  pastures,  Oswego, 
two  miles  northward  near  the  Lake  shore;  two  or  three  miles  south 
of  the  city  and  east  of  the  river,  borders  of  woods.  Local."  The 
evidence  presented  by  the  collectors  and  the  field  observers  would 
certainly  tend  to  indicate  that  in  this  case,  at  least,  the  plant  was  a 
native.  In  this  connection  the  form  of  the  successive  records  of 
the  species  from  Sable  Island  is  illuminating.  The  plant  seems  first  to 
have  been  recorded  from  Sable  Island  (under  the  name  E[RYTHRAEA] 
CENTAURIUM  Pers.)  in  Macoun's  Catalogue,  ii.  342  (1890) :  "  Sandy 
wastes  on  Sable  Island  off  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia.  Collected  July, 
1870.  (Mrs.  Almond). "  This  record  now  appears  in  Gray's  Manual2  as 
"Waste  grounds,  N.  S.;"  in  Britton  and  Brown's  Illustrated  Flora,3 
"In  waste  places,  Nova  Scotia — Naturalized  from  Europe."  Now 
"sandy  wastes"  on  Sable  Island  are  not  "waste  places;"  they  are  in 
the  strictest  sense  the  sand  dunes,  and  not  a  habitat  in  which  the 
plants  could  be  assumed  to  be  introduced. 

Collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,543);  and  by  H.  T.  Gussow 
(E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,304,  and  1,305  (H). 

Fl. — August  and  September.     Fr. — September. 

CONVOLVULACEAE. 

Convolvulus  sepium  L.  Abundant  on  the  slopes  of  the  dry 
dunes,  where  the  stems  intertwine  for  great  distances  between  the 
culms  of  Ammophila  and  Lathyrus  maritimus,  helping  in  the  formation 
of  the  dense  tangles  in  the  more  sheltered  places.  Listed  by  J. 
Macoun.  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,359  and  1,360  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — September. 

BORAGINACEAE. 

LAPPULA  ECHINATA  Gilib.    A  single  adventive  specimen  found 
near  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.    H.  St.  John,  no.  1,308  (H). 
FL— August. 

*As  Erythraea  Cenfaurium  Pers.  Paine,  J.  A.:  Cat.  of  PI.  Found  inOneida 
Co.,  and  Vicinity,  64  (116)  (1865). 

2Robinson,  B.  L.,  and  Fernald,  M.  L.:  Gray's  Manual,  ed.  7,  656  (1908). 

3As  Centaurium  Centaurium  (L.)  W.  F.  Wight,  Britton  and  Brown:  111. 
FL,  ed.  2,  iii.  2  (1913). 


92       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

LABIATAE. 

Teucrium  canadense  L.,  var.  littorale  (Bicknell)  Fernald. 
Observed  only  on  the  turfy  shores  of  the  fresh-water  ponds  near  the 
eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,309  (H). 

Fl. — September. 

GALEOPSIS  TETRAHIT  L.,  var.  BIFIDA  (Boenn.)  Lejeune  &  Court- 
ois.  A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.  H.  St.  John,  no. 
1,310  (H), 

FL,  Fr. — September. 

[LYCOPUS  UNIFLORUS  Michx.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun  and  H.  T. 
Giissow.  These  collections  are  undoubtedly  of  the  following  variety.] 

Lycopus  uniflorus  Michx.,  var.  ovatus  Fernald  &  St.  John,  n. 
var.,  foliis  sessilibus  vel  brevi-petiolatis  ovato-lanceolatis  vel  del- 
toideo-ovatis  grosse  serratis,  dentibus  4-6  acris  prorsum  vergentibus. 

Leaves  sessile  or  short  petioled,  ovate-lanceolate  or  deltoid-ovate, 
coarsely  serrate  with  4-6  sharp  teeth  which  point  directly  forward. 

NOVA  SCOTIA:  wet  dune  hollow,  Sable  Island,  August  15,  1913, 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,311  (TYPE  in  Gray  Herb.);  Canso,  August  17, 
1900,  J.  Fowler,  in  part  (H).  OREGON:  Sullivan's  Gulch,  Portland, 
July  14,  1902,  E.  P.  Sheldon,  no.  10,888  (H). 

Mentha  arvensis  L.  Observed  only  on  turfy  knolls  by  the  shore 
of  the  fresh-water  ponds  at  the  eastern  end  of  Wallace  Lake.  H. 
St.  John,  nos.  1,312  and  1,313  (H). 

FL — September. 

[M.  CANADENSIS  L.  of  J.  Macoun's  list  is  probably  the  preceding, 
M .  arvensis] 

SOLANACEAE. 

SOLANUM  NIGRUM  L.  A  weed  thoroughly  established  in  the  gardens 
of  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H.  T. 
Giissow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,314  (H). 

FL — August  and  September.     Fr. — September. 

LYCIUM  EUROPAEUM  L.  A  few  bushes  planted  and  surviving  in 
the  garden  at  Life  Saving  Station  No.  3.  H.  'St.  John,  no.  1,315  (H). 

SCROPHULARIACEAE. 

Limosella  subulata  Ives.  See  Fernald,  Rhodora,  xx.  164  (1918). 
Abundant  on  the  brackish  beach  of,  and  sand  flats  near  Wallace 
Lake.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,316  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  93 

Agalinis  paupercula  (Gray)  Britton,  var.  neoscotica  Fennel  1  & 
St.  John,  n.  comb.,  Gerardia  neoscotica  Greene,  Leaflets  of  Bot.  Ob- 
serv.  and  Grit.  ii.  106-7  (1910).  Greene's  type,  collected  by  himself 
at  Middleton,  Nova  Scotia,  has  been  examined  by  Dr.  Pennell  and 
myself  and  we  feel  that  it  and  the  Sable  Island  plant  belong  in  the 
same  category.  The  var.  neoscotica  differs  from  A.  paupercula  in 
being  only  1-2.5  dm.  in  height,  in  having  the  leaves  broader,  being 
broadly  linear,  1-3  cm.  long  and  1.5-4.5  mm.  wide;  the  lobes  of  the 
calyx  are  unusually  long,  3-8  mm.  and  of  unequal  length;  the  corolla 
lobes  are  scarcely  at  all  spreading;  the  anther  sacs  are  glabrous. 

Common  in  the  wet  dune  hollows.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,576); 
H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,317  and  1,318  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

[GERARDIA  PAUPERCULA  (Gray)  Britton  of  J.  Macoun's  list  is 
Agalinis  paupercula,  var.  neoscotica.] 

Euphrasia  purpurea  Reeks,  var.  Randii  (Robinson)  Fernald 
&  Wiegand.  Common  in  the  boggy  dune  hollows.  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,319  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

Euphrasia  americana  Wettst.    Listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow. 

Rhinanthus  Crista-galli  L.  Common  on  the  drier,  turf-covered 
dunes.  Collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,577);  H.  T.  Gussow  (E); 
H.  St.  John,  no.  1,320  (H). 

FL — July.     Fr. — July  and  August. 

[R.  OBLONGIFOLIUS  Fernald  of  J.  Macoun's  list  is  R.  Crista-galli 
L.] 

LENTIBULARIACEAE^ 

Utricularia  cornuta  Michx.    Found  only  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no. 

22,574). 
FL— July. 

PLANTAGINACEAE. 

PLANTAGO  MAJOR  L.    Listed  by  H.  T.  Gussow. 

P.  major  L.,  var.  intermedia  (Gilib.)  Dene.  Brackish  beaches 
of  Wallace  Lake.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,321 
(H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 


94       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

P.  decipiens  Barneoud.  Common  on  the  brackish  beaches  of 
Wallace  Lake  and  the  brackish  ponds.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  and 
H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,322  (H). 

Fly  Fr. — August. 

RUBIACEAE. 

Galium  trifidum  L.  Very  common  in  the  wet  dune  hollows  and 
along  the  swampy  borders  of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  Macoun 
(C.  no.  81,150);  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,324  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September.    • 

[G.  TINCTORIUM  L.,  of  J.  Macoun  and  H.  T.  Gussow  is  G.  trifi- 
dum.] 

G.  Clayton!  Michx.     In  the  wet  dune  hollows.    H.  St.  John,  no. 
1,323  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — August. 

Mitchella  repens  L.  Uncommon  and  local,  on  turf-covered 
dunes.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  records  this  (D.  p.  13).  Listed  by  J.  Ma- 
coun; and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,325  (H). 

Fr. — August. 

CAPRIFOLIACEAE. 

Lonicera  caerulea  L.,  var.  calvescens  Fernald  &  Wiegand,  Rho- 
dora,  xii.  210  (1910).  On  the  turf-covered  dunes.  Collected  by 
J.  Dwight,  Jr.;  and  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,491). 

Not  observed  in  flower  or  fruit. 

Linnaea  borealis  L.,  var.  americana  (Forbes)  Render.  Creep- 
ing between  the  stems  of  the  prostrate  Junipers  and  Empetrum  where 
they  form  a  thick  turf  on  the  low  dunes.  Listed  by  /.  Macoun; 
and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,326  (H). 

Not  observed  in  flower  or  fruit. 

Viburnum  cassinoides  L.  Occasional  on  the  turf-covered  dunes. 
J.  B.  Gilpin  wrote  in  1858  (G.  p.  18),  "The  usual  shrubs  are  dwarf t 
to  a  few  inches;  *  *  *  [the]  low  with-wood  would  not  afford  a 
riding  cane."  Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St. 
John,  nos.  1,327  and  1,328  (H). 

Not  observed  in  flower  or  fruit. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  95 

CAMPANULACEAE. 

Lobelia  Dortmanna  L.  Abundant  along  the  wet  margins  of  the 
fresh-water  ponds.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,329 
(H). 

Fl,  Fr.—  August. 

COMPOSITAE. 

Solidago  sempervirens  L.  Common  in  all  of  the  drier  parts  of 
the  island,  especially  so  along  the  North,  and  the  South  Ridge,  which 
are  ranges  of  dunes  close  to  and  parallel  with  the  sea  beaches.  J.  B. 
Gilpin  in  1858  (G.  p.  19)  remarked  upon  the  "gay  golden  rods." 
J.  C.  Tache  mentions  "la  verge  d'or"  (T.  p.  29).  Collected  by 
J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,535);  and  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John, 
nos.  1,330-1,334  (H). 

Fl. — September. 

Aster  novi-belgii  L.  Very  abundant  on  the  dry  dunes,  or  even 
at  the  swampy  borders  of  the  fresh-water  ponds.  J.  B.  Gilpin  (G. 
pp.  18-9)  in  1858  noted, "  As  autumn  heats  yellow  the  luxuriant  green, 
the  tall,  mallow,  gay  golden  rods  and  wild  China-asters  are  swept 
by  the  heaving  gales."  Collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,502); 
H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,335-1,339  (H). 

Fl. — Middle  of  August  to  September. 

A.  novi-belgii  L.,  var.  litoreus  Gray.  Occasional  at  the  edge"  of 
the  brackish  ponds.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,502);  H.  St.  John,  no. 
1,340  (H). 

[ANAPHALIS  MARGARITACEA  (L.)  B.  &  H.  of  J.  Macoun  and  pre- 
sumably of  H.  T.  Gussow  is  the  following  var.  subalpina.] 

Anaphalis  margaritacea  (L.)  B.  &  H.,  var.  subalpina  Gray. 
Very  common  on  the  dry  dunes  and  barrens.  J.  Macoun  (C.  no. 
22,515);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,341  (H). 

FL— August. 

Gnaphalium  obtusifolium  L.  (G.  polycephalum  Michx.) 
Abundant  on  the  dry  dunes  and  barrens.  J.  D wight's  mention 
(D.  p.  13)  of  "Gnaphalium  sp?"  which  he  dubs  a  weed  should  prob- 
ably be  referred  here.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H.  T.  Gussow  (E); 
H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,342  and  1,343  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 


96       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

G.  ULIGINOSUM  L.     A  weed  well  established  at  the  Main  Life 
Saving  Station.     Listed  by  J.  Macoun.     H.  St.  John,  no.  1,344  (H). 
FL,  Fr. — August. 

RTJDBECKIA  HIRTA  L.  A  weed  collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no. 
23,439)  in  1899  but  not  observed  by  the  subsequent  botanical  col- 
lectors. 

FL — August. 

Bidens  frondosa  L.     Listed  by  J.  Macoun. 

B.  connata  Muhl.,  var.  petiolata  (Nutt.)  Farwell.  See  Fernald, 
Rhodora,  x.  200  (1908).  Infrequent,  at  the  borders  of  fresh-water 
ponds.  H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,345  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — September. 

[B.  CERNUA  L.  of  H.  T.  Gussow  is  B.  connata,  var.  petiolata.] 

[ACHILLEA  MILLEFOLIUM  L.  is  listed  by  J.  Macoun-,  and  H.  T. 
Gussow.  The  material  is  probably  identical  with  that  collected  by 
the  author  and  cited  under  the  following,  A.  lanulosa.} 

Achillea  lanulosa  Nutt.    Very  abundant  on  the  dry  dunes  and 
barrens.     H.  St.  John,  no.  1,346  (H). 
FL — August. 

ANTHEMIS  COTULA  L.  Thoroughly  established  at  the  Main  Life 
Saving  Station.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St. 
John,  no.  1,347  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM  LEUCANTHEMUM  L.,  var.  PINNATIFIDUM  Lecoq 
&  Lamotte.  A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station.  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,348  (H). 

FL — August. 

Senecio  Pseudo- Arnica  Less.  Infrequent  in  the  gulches  near  the 
sea  and  at  the  top  of  the  beaches.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun;  and  H.  T. 
Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,349  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August. 

CIRSIUM  ARVENSE  (L.)  Scop.  A  weed  thoroughly  established  near 
the  Life  Saving  Stations  and  spreading.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H. 
T.  Gussow  (E);  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,350  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  97 

CICHORIUM  INTYBUS  L.    A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Station. 
Only  one  plant  seen.    H.  St.  John,  no.  1,351  (H). 
Fr. — September. 

LEONTODON  AUTUMNALIS  L.  Thoroughly  established  near  the 
Life  Saving  Stations.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun  (also  mentioned,  "fall 
dandelion"  M.  p.  218A);  and  H.  T.  Gussow.  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,352 
(H). 

Fl,  Fr.— August. 

TARAXACUM  OFFICINALE  Weber.  A  weed  in  the  garden  at  the 
Main  Life  Saving  Station.  Listed  by  J.  Macoun.  H.  St.  John, 
no.  1,353  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— August. 

SONCHUS  ASPER  (L.)  Hill.     A  weed  at  the  Main  Life  Saving  Sta- 
tion.    H.  St.  John,  no.  1,354  (H). 
FL,  Fr.— August. 

Prenanthes  trifoliolata  (Cass.)  Fernald.  Occasional  on  all 
the  drier  parts  of  the  island.  Collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,522); 
H.  T.  Gussow  (E);  and  H.  St.  John,  no.  1,355  (H). 

FL,  Fr. — August  and  September. 

P.   nana  (Bigel.)  Torr.     Infrequent  on  the  turf -covered  dunes. 
H.  St.  John,no.  1,356  (H). 
FL— August. 

Hieracium  scabrum  Michx.,  var.  leucocaule  Fernald  &  St. 
John.  Rhodora,  xvi.  182  (1914).  To  the  present  date  this  variety 
is  still  an  endemic  of  Sable  Island.  It  occurs  scattered  over  the 
barrens  between  Life  Saving  Station  No.  3  and  the  East  End  Light- 
house. Collected  by  J.  Macoun  (C.  no.  22,525);  H.  T.  Gussow  (E); 
H.  St.  John,  nos.  1,357  and  1,358  (H). 

FL,  Fr.— September. 

[H.  CANADENSE  Michx.  of  J.  Macoun's  list  is  H.  scabrum,  var. 
leucocaule} 


98       PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 


LIST  OP  ABBREVIATIONS. 

(C)  =  Herbarium  of  the  Canadian  Geological  Survey. 

(D)  =  Dwight,    Jonathan,    Jr. :   The    Ipswich   Sparrow.     Mem.    Nuttall 
Ornith.  Club,  ii.  1-56  (1895). 

(E)  =  Herbarium  of  the  Central  Experimental  Farm,  Ottawa,  Canada. 
(G)  =  Gilpin,  John  Bernard:  Sable  Island.     1-24  (1858). 

(H)  =  Gray  Herbarium  of  Harvard  University. 

(L)  =  Le  Mercier,  Andrew:  The  Island  Sables.  Boston  Weekly  News 
Letter.  February  8  (1753). 

(M)  =  Macoun,  John:  Sable  Island.  Ann.  Rep.  Can.  Geol.  Surv.  n.  s. 
xii.  212A-219A  (1899). 

(P)  =  Herbarium  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. 

(T)  =  Tache,  Jean  Charles:  Les  Sablons,  1-154  (1885). 


NEW  SPECIES,  VARIETIES,  AISD  FORMS. 

Juniperus  communis  L.,  var.  megistocarpa  Fernald  &  St.  John 
Juncus  pelocarpus  Mey.,  var.  sabulonensis  St.  John 
Calopogon  puLhellus  (Sw.)  R.  Br.  f.,  latifolius  St.  John 
Polygonum  hydropiperoides  Michx.,  var.  psilostachyum  St.  John 
Rubus  arcuans   Fernald  &  St.  John 
Lathyrus  palustris  L.,  var.  retusus   Fernald  &  St.  John 
Bartonia  iodandra  Robinson,  var.  sabulonensis   Fernald 
Lycopus  uniflorus  Michx.,  var.  ovatus  Fernald  &  St.  John 
Agalinis  pauper cula    (Gray)    Britton,    var.    neoscotica    (Greene)    Pennell 
&  St.  John. 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND. 


99 


TABULAR  STATEMENT  OP  FAMILIES,  GENERA,  SPECIES,  VARIETIES, 

AND  FORMS  OF  THE  NATIVE  OR  ADVENTIVE  FLORA. 


Families  . 

Genera. 

ii 

i* 

Adventive 
Species. 

Native 
Varieties. 

Adventive 
Varieties. 

Native 
Forms. 

Polypodiaceae  

1 

i 

Osmundaceae  

1 

i 

Lycopodlaceae  

1 

i 

Pinaceae  

1 

i 

1 

Typhaceae     .   . 

1 

i 

Sparganiaceae  

1 

i 

Potamogetonaceae 

3 

5 

2 

Gramineae  

17 

8 

9 

5 

2 

Cyperaceae  

3 

8 

5 

Erio  caulaceae 

1 

I 

Juncaceae  

2 

3 

5 

Liliaceae  

1 

1 

Iridaceae  

2 

2 

Orchidaceae  

3 

4 

1 

i 

Myricaceae 

1 

1 

Polygonaceae  

2 

2 

7 

2 

2 

Chenopodiaceae 

2 

1 

1 

1 

Caryophyllaceae  

7 

2 

5 

2 

Portulacaceae  

1 

1 

Nymphaeaceae 

1 

I 

Ranunculaceae  

3 

3 

2 

1 

Cruciferae 

5 

1 

4 

Droseraceae  

1 

2 

Crassulaceae  .... 

1 

1 

Rosaceae 

7 

6 

4 

Leguminosae  

2 

1 

3 

2 

Empetraceae  .  .  . 

1 

1 

Aquif  oliaceae  .    . 

1 

1 

Guttiferae  

1 

2 

Violaceae  

1 

4 

1 

100     PROCEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 


Families. 

| 

pi 

|! 

Adventive 
Species. 

Native 
Varieties. 

Adventive 
Varieties. 

Native 
Forms. 

Onagraceae  

2 

2 

1 

Haloragidaceae 

2 

2 

Umbellif  erae  

3 

2 

1 

Cornaceae  

1 

1 

Ericaceae 

2 

2 

1 

Primu  laceae 

3 

3 

Gentianaceae  

3 

2 

1 

Convolvulaceae  

1 

1 

Boraginaceae 

1 

1 

Labiatae  

4 

1 

2 

1 

Solanaceae     

1 

1 

Scrophulariaceae 

4 

3 

2 

Lentibulariaceae  

1 

1 

Plantaginaceae  .    .    . 

1 

1 

1 

1 

Rubiaceae 

2 

3 

Caprif  oliaceae  

3 

1 

2 

Campanulaceae  

1 

1 

Compositae 

17 

8 

8 

4 

1 

Totals  

127 

101 

45 

45 

6 

1 

Total  of  native  and  adventive 
species,  varieties  and  forms 
Planted  species  not  included  in 
preceding  table 

198 
15 

Total  flora  

213 

ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Anonymous:  The  Graveyard  of  the  Atlantic.  All  the  Year  Round,  Ixvi. 
517-522  (1890). 

Anonymous:  Sable  Island.  The  Leisure  Hour,  xxx.  432-434  (1881).  The 
author  was  one  of  the  assistants  in  the  Admiralty  Survey  of  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  and  visited  Sable  Island  in  1851. 

Bayfield,  Capt.  H.  W. :  Report  to  the  Hydrographer  of  the  Navy.  Appen- 
dix to  Journal  of  House  of  Assembly,  Province  of  Nova  Scotia,  no.  24, 
167-168  (1851),  and  no.  8,  78-79  (1852). 

Biggar,  H.  P.:  The  Early  Trading  Companies  of  New  France.  1-308 
(1901). 

Brymner,  Douglas:  Report  on  Canadian  Archives,  pp.  xxv-xxvii  (1895). 

Canadian  Forestry  Association,  Officers  of:  Tree  Planting  on  Sable 
Island.  Rod  and  Gun  in  Canada,  v.  466-470  (1904). 

Charlevoix,  Pierre  Francois  Xavier  de:  Histoire  et  Description  Generate 
de  la  Nouvelle  France,  3  vols.  (1744). 

Coleman,  Seth:  Report  to  Sir  John  Wentworth,  Lieutenant  Governor  of 
Nova  Scotia.  Report  on  Canadian  Archives,  91-92  (1895). 

Darby,  Joseph:  Chart  of  Sable  Island.  -  Published  8  April  (1824),  revised 
(1829). 

Dawson,  John  William:  Acadian  Geology,  36-38  (1878). 

Des  Barres,  Joseph  Frederick  Wallet:  The  Isle  of  Sable.  Surveyed  in 
1766  and  1767  to  Order  of  the  Right  Honourable  the  Lords  Commissioners 
of  the  Admiralty.  Atlantic  Neptune,  i.  68,  2  charts,  12  illustr.  (1777 
and  1779). 

Dwight,  Jonathan,  Jr.:  The  Ipswich  Sparrow  and  its  Summer  Home. 
Memoirs  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  no.  2.  1-56,  1  plate  (1895). 

Gilpin,  J[ohn]  Bernard:  On  Introduced  Species  of  Nova  Scotia.  Trans- 
actions of  the  Nova  Scotian  Institute  of  Natural  Science,  i.  (printed  ii.) 
part  2,  60-68  (1864). 

Sable  Island,  Its  Past  History,  Present  Appearance,  Natural  History,  &c., 

including  Darby,  Joseph:  A  Description  of  the  Shipwreck  of  the  American 
Schooner  Arno,  Lost  on  the  Island,  September  19,  1846,  and  including 
Howe,  the  Hon.  Joseph:  Sable  Island,  A  Poem,  and  including  Willis,  J.: 
Mollusca  of  Sable  Island,  so  far  as  ascertained  up  to  1858,  1-35,  3  illustr. 
(1858). 

Gosselin,  E.:  Early  French  Voyages  to  Newfoundland.  Translation. 
Mag.  Am.  Hist.  viii.  286-290  (1882). 

Halleck,  Charles:  The  Secrets  of  Sable  Island.  Harper's  Monthly,  xxxiv. 
4-19,  10  illustr.  (1867). 

Howe,  John:  A  Letter  to  Robert  Murray  Esqr.,  Captain  of  H.  M.  Ship 
Asia.  Report  on  Canadian  Archives,  89-90  (1895). 

Howe,  Joseph:  Condition  and  Past  Management  of  the  Humane  Establish- 
ment at  Sable  Island,  a  Report  to  Lieut,  genl.  Sir  John  Harvey,  dated 
October  21,  1850.  Appendix  to  Journal  of  House  of  Assembly,  Province 
of  Nova  Scotia,  no.  24,  160-166  (1851),  and  no.  8,  70-76  (1852). 


102 :.   I^&GEEDINGS:  BOSTON  SOCIETY  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

Sable  Island,  a  Poem.     See  Gilpin,  J.  B.:  Sable  Island,  31-34  (1858). 

Jacombe,  F.  W.  H.:  The  Problem  of  Sable  Island.  Canadian  Forestry 
Journal,  ix.  91-92  (1913). 

de  Laet,  Johannes:  Novus  Orbis  seu  Descriptionis  Indiae  Occidentalis. 
ed.  3,  1-690  (1633). 

Le  Mercier,  Rev.  Andrew:  The  Island  Sables.  To  be  sold  by  me  the  Sub- 
criber.  The  Publick  hath  here  a  short  description  of  it  for  nothing.  Bos- 
ton Weekly  News  Letter,  February  8  (1753). 

Macdonald,  Simon  D.:  Geological  Notes.  Sable  Island.  Transactions 
of  the  Nova  Scotian  Institute  of  Natural  Science,  v.  part  4,  337-338  (1882). 

— Sable  Island  (continued).  Transactions  of  the  Nova  Scotian  Institute 

of  Natural  Science,  vi.  part  2,  110-119  (1884). 

Sable  Island,  No.  3. — Its  Probable  Origin  and  Submergence.  Trans- 
actions of  the  Nova  Scotian  Institute  of  Natural  Science,  vi.  part  4,  265-280 
(1886). 

Macoun,  John:  Sable  Island.  Annual  Report  of  the  Canadian  Geological 
Survey,  n.  s.  xii.  212A-219A  (1899). 

Merriam,  C.  Hart:  Breeding  of  Passerculus  princeps  on  Sable  Island. 
Auk,  i.  390  (1884). 

Montresor,  Capt.  John:  Map  of  Nova  Scotia  or  Acadia;  with  the  Islands 
of  Cape  Breton  and  St.  John's  from  Actual  Surveys  (1768). 

Murdoch,  Beamish:  History  of  Nova-Scotia,  3  vols.  (1865-1867). 

Oxley,  J.  Macdonald:  An  Ocean  Grave- Yard.  Scribner's  Magazine,  i. 
603-610,  2  illustr.,  1  map  (1887). 

Historic  Aspects  of  Sable  Island.  Magazine  of  American  History, 

xv.  162-170  (1886). 

Patterson,  Rev.  George:  Sable  Island:  Its  History  and  Phenomena. 
Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Canada,  xii.  section  2,  3-49,  1  map 
(1894). 

Supplementary  notes  on  Sable  Island.  Transactions  of  the  Royal 

Society  of  Canada,  second  series,  iii.  section  2,  131-138  (1897). 

Ridgway,  Robert:  The  Probable  Breeding-place  of  Passerculus  princeps. 
Auk,  i.  292-293  (1884). 

Saunders,  William:  Experiments  in  Tree  Planting  on  Sable  Island.  Re- 
port of  the  Director  of  the  Dominion  Experimental  Farms,  63-77  (1901). 

Reports  from  Sable  Island  in  1902.  Report  of  the  Director  of  the 

Dominion  Experimental  Farms,  56-58  (1902). 

Sayer,  Robert:  The  North  American  Pilot  for  Newfoundland,  Labradore, 
the  Gulf  and  River  St.  Lawrence:  being  a  collection  of  Sixty  Accurate 
Charts  and  Plans,  drawn  from  original  surveys:  taken  by  James  Cook  and 
Michael  Lane,  Surveyors,  and  Joseph  Gilbert,  and  other  Officers  in  the 
King's  Service  (1779). 

Scambler,  Lieut.  Joseph:  A  Letter  to  Lieut.  Governor,  Sir  John  Wentworth, 
written  from,  His  Majesty's  Tender  Cutter  Trepassey,  at  Sydney,  17th 
May,  1800.  Report  on  Canadian  Archives,  88-89  (1895). 

Scott,  Marshall  Owen:  Changing  Aspects  of  Sable  Island.  Canadian 
Magazine,  xviii.  341-349,  5  illustr.,  2  charts  (1901-1902). 


ST.  JOHN:  SABLE  ISLAND.  103 

Tache,  Jean  Charles:  Les  Sablons  (L'lle  de  Sable)  et  L'lle  Saint  Barnabe, 

1-154  (1885). 
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General  Assembly:  To  His  Excellency  Sir  John  Wentworth,  Lieutenant 

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Scotia,  from  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  11  June,  1801.      Report  on  Canadian 

Archives,  90-91  (1895). 
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of  Sable,  for  the  relief  of  the  distressed,  and  the  Preservation  of  Property. 

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Canadian  Archives,  84-88  (1895). 
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is  included  in  Gilpin,  J.  B. :  Sable  Island,  35  (1858) . 
Winsor,    Justin:  Narrative   and   Critical   History   of   America.     8    vols. 

(1888-1889). 


ST.  JOHN— Sable  Island. 


EXPLANATION  OF  PLATES. 
PLATE  1. 

1.  Juncus  pelocarpus  E.  Mey.,  var.  sahuLonensis  St.  John,  n.  var.     Habit 
sketch  from  the  type,  X  2. 

la.  Detail  of  fruit  of  the  type,  X  5. 
Ib.  Seed  of  the  type,  X  10. 

2.  Juncus  pelocarpus  E.  Mey.     Detail  of  fruit  after  Buchenau,  F.:  Jun- 
caceae.     Pflanzenreich,  iv.  fam.  36,  f.  84  E  (1906). 

3.  Polygonum  hydropiperoides  Michx.,  var.  psilostachyum  St.  John.     Habit 
sketch  from  the  type,  X  1A> 

3a.  Detail  of  inflorescence  showing  the  eciliate  ocreolae,  from  the  type, 
X  2. 

4.  Calopogon  pulchellus  (Sw.)   R.   Br.,  forma  latifolius  St.  John.     Habit 
sketch  of  the  type,  X  1A. 

5.  Polygonum  lapathifolium  L.,  var.  prostratum  Wimmer.     Habit  sketch 
showing  the  tip  half  of  one  of  the  prostrate  branches,  from  St.  John,  no. 
1,361,  Sable  Island,  Nova  Scotia,  September  4,  1913,  X  1A> 

5a.  Detail  of  a  spike,  X  2. 

5b.  A  single  fruit  showing  the  raised  anchor-like  nerves  on  the  two  outer 

sepals,  from  the  above,  X  5. 
5c.  A  mature  achene,  from  the  above,  X  5. 

6.  Lathyrus  palustris  L.,  var.  retusus  Fernald  &  St.  John.       Habit  view  of 
several  median  leaves  of  the  type,  X  %• 


ST.  JOHN.  —  SABLE  ISLAND. 


PLATE 


PROC.  BOSTON  Soc.  NAT.  HIST.     VOL.  36. 


ST.  JOHN— Sable  Island. 


PLATE  2. 

7.  Rubus  arcuans  Fernald  &  St.  John.     Habit  sketch  of  fruiting  branchlet 
of  the  type,  X  V^ 

7a.  Flowering  spray  drawn  from  the  specimen  St.  John,  no.  1,259  from 

Sable  Island,  Nova  Scotia,  X  1A. 

7b.  Detail  of  the  base  of  a  fruiting  pedicel  of  the  type,  X  4. 
7c.  Sketch  of  a  segment  of  a  first-year  cane  and  a  single  leaf  from  the  type, 

X  H- 
7d.  Enlarged  view  of  a  portion  of  a  first-year  cane  of  the  type,  X  2. 

8.  Epilobium  molle  Torr.,  var.  sabulonense  Fernald.     Detail  of  a  portion 
of  the  stem  and  the  base  of  a  leaf  showing  the  appressed  pubescence, 
from  the  type,  X  4. 

9.  Lycopus  uniflorus  Michx.,   var.   ovatus  Fernald  &  St.   John.     Habit 
sketch  of  the  type,  X  1A. 

10.  Bartonia  iodandra  Robinson,  var.  sabulonensis  Fernald.     Habit  sketch 
of  the  upper  half  of  a  plant,  from  the  type,  X  1. 

lOa.  Enlarged  view  of  a  single  flower,  from  the  type,  X  2. 

11.  Bartonia  iodandra  Robinson.     Enlarged  view  of  a  single  flower,  drawn 
from  M.  L.  Fernald  &  K.  M .  Wiegand,  no.  3,913,  Birchy  Cove,  New- 
foundland, Aug.  11,  1910,  X  2. 

12.  Agalinis  paupercida  (Gray)  Britton,  var.  neoscotica  (Greene)  Pennell 
&  St.  John.     Habit  view  drawn  from  St.  John,  no.  1,318,  Sable  Island, 
Nova  Scotia,  Aug.  18,  1913,  X  Y* 

12a.  Corolla  seen  from  within,  drawn  from  St.  John,  no.  1,318,  X  1. 

12b.  Enlarged  view  of  an  anther  and  part  of  its  filament,  showing  the  gla- 
brous line  of  dehiscence  of  the  anther  sacs  and  the  attachment  of  the 
hairs  to  the  nearer  side  of  the  filament,  drawn  from  St.  John,  no.  1,318, 
X  10. 

13.  Hieracium  scabrum  Michx.,  var.  leucocaule  Fernald  &  St.  John.     Habit 
sketch  of  a  plant  on  the  type  sheet,  X  1A> 

14.  Hieracium   scabrum   Michx.     Base   of   plant   showing   characteristic 
villous  pubescence  of  the  petioles  and  the  base  of  the  stem,  drawn  from 
the  specimen,  Ezra  Brainerd,  Cobble  Hill,  New  Haven,  Vermont,  Aug. 
18,  1898,  X  1A- 


ST.  JOHN.  —  SABLE  ISLAND. 


PLATE  2. 


PROC.  BOSTON  Soc.  NAT.  HIST.     VOL.  36. 


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